Triple Triad King
by Syc0ticEpis0de
Summary: Squall becomes obsessed with Triple Triad, completely warping the series of events. Amidst duels, fighting a war, and certain adoring ladies, Squall has his work cut out for him. Watch as he discovers who and what really matters to him, all while forging a path to his throne as King. Squall/harem. M for lemons, and some language.
1. The Open Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING except this story.

**Edits 11/1:** Updated the chapter with what I've learned in recent months. Hope it's better.

* * *

"_The cards originated when a psychic named Orlan modified these tarot cards for games. The game became popular with soldiers passing time between battles. As its popularity spread, each region developed its own rules and picture variations._"

—Tutorial - FFVIII Info Corner

**Chapter 1: The Open Rule**

General Caraway's Mansion, Deling City

"So what you're saying is that you lost to Martine, therefore losing Ifrit?" Squall was genuinely at a loss.

"He has truly mastered his technique, and with such powerful cards, I simply could not defeat him," General Caraway mused as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You can find him at Fisherman's Horizon if you wish to challenge him."

_I mean we literally JUST played_…

"Martine is exceptional at this game. I trust that you will not be disappointed."

_I'm certain I didn't even leave this room…_

"I also trust that you will take care of my daughter's card. It has sentimental value, you see."

_I guess I did go save before challenging you again…_

"So," the general said with a somewhat dismissive tone. "I imagine you have a long road ahead of you, Squall Leonhart. I look forward to our next meeting." And with that, he curtly showed the brunette SeeD out of his mansion.

As soon as Squall was greeted by the cool Deling air and the farewell of closing doors, he released the sigh he had been holding in. He had never heard a more improbable excuse for declining a Triple Triad challenge, and he suspected trickery on the General's part. He caught Zell shadow-boxing by the S_ave_ point while Selphie sprung to her feet at the sight of his return.

"So how'd it go? Did ya win?" the nunchaku specialist chirped, smiling expectantly.

Zell lowered his dukes and let his upper body go limp as he cried out in relief. He was never was a big fan of waiting around. "Finally!"

"Not exactly." Squall almost felt dejected, but a reassuring slap on the back from the hand-to-hand specialist replaced it with irritation.

"Hey, that's great! Tell us on the way back!" Zell said with a grin, jogging off to hail a trolley that would take them out. "C'mon, let's go!" As soon as he left, Selphie went over to her brooding team leader, fidgeting all the while with her hands behind her back.

"It's weird, but I never noticed how much this stuff means to you." She leaned on one foot and tilted her head to the side. She thought it was strange how much more emotion he showed when he put his literal cards on the table. And he always came out on top; he was a natural. "Is it fun? I bet it is the way you play it all the the time."

"It's not for everyone. Come on, we're going to Fisherman's Horizon." The lion narrowed his eyes, knowing in his mind that the hunt was on. Nothing would stop from getting his damn **_Ifrit _**back. Once he started down the path Zell had taken off to, he was stopped by a gentle, albeit firm hold on his arm.

"Heey, wait!"

"What?"

"I just wanted to ask if you would…"

Growing impatient, Squall turned to face her. He had an implacable look in his eyes when he took in her startled expression.

The little brunette squeaked when she stared up at him. Without really thinking it, she closed her eyes tightly and blurted out, "Teach me!"

It went without saying that Squall was a young man of many talents, but few hobbies. Of those hobbies that did not involve not giving a damn, there was no mistaking that he had one very big obsession: Triple Triad. He lived it, breathed it, and loved it. But did this love always exist? No, he was a different person then. But how did his conquest of Triple Triad King begin? That was a story easier told if one were to peek at the 7 cards tucked neatly away in his gunblade case, should one ever dare look through that.

* * *

_Several months earlier…_

Squall was still reeling after returning from the SeeD Field Exam. The war-torn city of Dollet was something of a blur in his mind, but the battle was still so vivid. He was glad it was over, and decided to catch some much needed rest in his soon to be former classroom. Tonight was his last night as a student, after all, so one last nap on his desk felt like a good way to say good bye.

He was sitting at his desk with his head down, enjoying the moment of peace and relaxation. It would've been the best nap he'd ever had if not for the eraser nub poking at the top of his head. Squall lifted his head and saw Quistis Trepe, the smirk on her lips doing little to ease his frustration.

"…"

"…"

She poked his nose once. He glared.

"…"

"…"

Twice.

"…"

"…"

Thrice.

"What?"

"You did it again," she remarked, a smile tugging at her lips. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

Squall sighed and leaned back in his chair, palming his hair tiredly. "You're still the only one who notices...and I'm not really looking forward to the party."

The buxom blonde touched her lips when she chuckled. "First, it's my job as instructor to notice these things. Second, we both know it's MORE than just a celebration."

"So why aren't you getting ready?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated. She lowered her gaze and huffed.

He noticed how she licked her bottom lip, as though carefully choosing her next words.

"Squall," Quistis began, raising her leg up to sit on his desk, but more so leaning than sitting in any case, "tonight isn't about me. It's about you, the graduates, and the future of SeeD." She was clutching her notebook to her generous bust, looking down sternly at him. It was like she picked up on something deeper to her student's unease. Never mind that her creamy white legs were in plain view.

_SeeD, huh? I don't feel any different. Guess that comes after. This is my new duty, my responsibility._

"You're doing it again," she said with a frown.

"…"

"…"

"Whatever." "Whatever."

She buried her face in her notebook to laugh at his expense, her body trembling with glee. With that, Squall got up and started for the exit. He was set on leaving this class, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him if only for a moment.

"Squall."

The lovely blonde prided herself in being able to read him best, and she knew that he longed for something substantial. That was normal for a human being, and Squall was very much that even if he forgot it at times.

"One last thing before you go." Quistis got up from the desk and walked in front of her student as she continued, "When you find something...something special that you really enjoy, I want to know about it. Just keep me in the loop, ok?" She was serious, that much he could tell. "That's all I ask." She flashed him a sideways smile when she made her way out, the sway of her hips much livelier with the spring in her step.

Squall thought about that for a moment before he left the classroom. For good.

These days, things tend to happen for no apparent reason. Take Squall for example, having left not too long ago after his instructor, who would be taking the elevator first. Because of this, he would have to wait for it to come back, but during this waiting period, another man would slip on a banana peel and miss the chance to take the elevator down with the lovely Instructor Trepe. Said man has seemingly no purpose here on this floor and is now also waiting. Had Squall left first, the man would be waiting with Quistis in tow, and perhaps he wouldn't have slipped. But as fate would have it, or perhaps for no reason at all…

"Hey."

Squall, while normally in the market to give not a single damn, stopped at the sound of the man in the hall. He was plain, harmless looking, but maybe out of his mind. Either way, for the next few seconds, Squall was all ears.

"My brother gave me these cards but they're not really my thing. You can have them if you'd like."

**_Received 7 cards!_**

**_1 Funguar, 1 Gayla, 1 Gesper , 1 Caterchipillar, 1 Fastitocalon-F, 1 Geezard, 1 Red Bat._**

"Huh." And out went a very nonchalant Squall, down the elevator where he would meet destiny.

….

**_Geezard_** flips **_Cockatrice_** from the right, 5 beating 1.

**_You Win!_**

**_MinimogCard Acquired  
_**

"Mine. In your face!" The running kid immediately resumed his run around the circle area as though nothing happened, both lessening the impact of Squall's triumphant yell and confusing him as to how well he seemed to deal with losing a lv.8 _GF_ card. Squall awkwardly cleared his throat as two students tentatively passed by. He took off to his room, giddy with the addition of his second rare card. His **_Ifrit _**was impressive without a doubt, but this new card filled him with a desire for more.

It was strange to think that he got more feeling out of a card game than being a SeeD, and this was a game that he could've picked up earlier in all his years of being here; so much time wasted. Squall felt alive, and no matter how strong his deck would become, he would always keep the first cards that helped him feel that way for the first time in a long while.

Once he was in the privacy of his room, he started getting dressed for the big celebration. He had changed into his new SeeD uniform, perfectly fitting like a glove. Looking at himself now, he looked and felt like a new man. He lifted his head up high and went on to the ballroom. Who knows? He might even dance.

* * *

_Present day…_

Selphie held his bicep a little tighter, the flush on her cheeks deepened as she looked up at him. Normally very talkative, the little brunette was unsure how to follow up on her out-of-the-blue demand. Thankfully, she didn't have to.

"So, you want me to take you as my student? Teach you everything I know? To drill you hard until you know everything I have to offer?" he said with a tone that was alien to her; it was like he was exuding power and dominance with every word. "Willing to take all that?"

Selphie leaned into him ever slight, drawn by his aura in a way she could not explain. The child-like curiosity in her gaze meant he had her full attention and more. "You'd teach me, right?" she said, whispering almost. "Teach me..now?" Selphie felt a thrilling shock run down her back, tickling her firm bottom as she slowly raised herself up on her tip toes.

"Trolleys are here!" Zell yelled from the distance, snapping both of them out of a very interesting trance. "C'mon! Trolleys are here!" Yelling louder this time.

With that, Squall deftly untangled himself from Selphie's alluring web and followed the loud, shrill calls.

The former Trabia student fumbled with her words as she tried to reiterate how much she wanted him to drill her. "H-heeey! Are you gonna…S-Squall! Heeey! You didn't answer!"

"Later, come on." Squall stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked off.

Selphie groaned. She cursed Zell and mentally kicked him, which made her kick the _Save _point.

**_Ping!_**

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

**_Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!_**

* * *

A**/N**: Reviews much appreciated


	2. The Random Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story.

**Edits 6/14: **Fixed some errors. Improved the flow a little better.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Random Rule**

Balamb Garden, en route to Fisherman's Horizon

When killing Gratz and turning T-Rexaurs into zombies became repetitive, it's good to sit back and pick up on that hobby you've never really had much time for. Something like this is good for the body and mind, and given that the hobby in question is something constructive makes it better. The day was also quite beautiful, what with all the blue sky, passing clouds, and wailing sea gulls hovering overhead as the mobile Balamb Garden sailed by. Having just departed from Deling City, the crisp sea air was also a refreshing change.

Out on the quad was one Selphie Tilmitt enthusiastically briefing the small Garden Festival Committee of an event that would hold a concert once on Fisherman's Horizon, much to the dismay of the handful present; they would most likely have to do the manual labor for such an undertaking. Not minding that most were only there for the sake of grades, the perky brunette carried on with the details of construction.

Over by the cafeteria hall was a bevy of students with Zell making a dash along the hallway, leaving behind a stampede cloud. Each student was crazed, perhaps Zell being the most vicious. The lunch ladies took one look at eachother, then at the oncoming horde. They nodded understandingly, quickly outfitting themselves with army helmets, and holding their cooking utensils like weapons (the helmets were pots, go figure).

"Tonight, we dine in hell!" The biggest lunch-lady bellowed, rallying her troops as they roared and clanged their weapons together in slow-motion. Zell led the charge, hands raised with fistfuls of gil ready to be dispensed on the cafeteria lady 3. "Take from them everything!" The lady shouted.

"Booya! First come! First serve!" The hand-to-hand SeeD specialist unleashed a jab to an unsuspecting student unfortunate enough to come close to passing him up, sending him tumbling behind the stampeding cloud to be forgotten for the rest of the story. The next student trying to pass him up was knocked back by a spontaneous torrent of dolphins following Zell's uppercut, creating a bigger mess of things as it were.

"My only weakness!" Wailed the dolphin-mauled, student. As a blood-crazed Zell finally made it to the head of the lunch line, he lunged into the air, hands raised as he aimed for the lunch lady. As the madness of lunch rush occurred in ironic slow-motion, Squall was making his way to the cafeteria seating area at normal speed. He spared not a glance for the mid-air Zell as he seated himself. Once comfortable, he looked across the table and acknowledged his scheduled opponent. This was his first game since leaving Deling. He gave a nod and took out a black case and set it on the table. The opponent took the hint, taking out his own black case and setting it opposite to his. Silence met with silence, and then both quickly opened their boxes, revealing a set of cards from within. Triple Triad! Oh, the air was just thick with epic tension.

"Draw…" The man said, a spaghetti western style theme playing in the background could only mean one thing: shit just got real. Actually now that Squall thought about it, it was the only thing he ever heard him say.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Squall's lips, and for some reason he was wearing a cowboy hat and chewing on a toothpick. As he drew his 5 cards, his hat shadowed his eyes, adding dramatic effect, "I hope you saved your progress, cause this about to get-"

"Sup' doods!" Zell cut him off, dragging a chair with his foot to join them. Squall felt his hat dematerialize, his eye twitched as the spiky-haired companion set his mountain of food right in the middle of the table, effectively postponing the duel. Zell had hotdogs in each hand and was just about finished wolfing down one.

"Aawwwoh, mahn, iff' amahing. Mmm!" Both Triple Triad combatants squint their eyes at the insatiable beast, who seemed none too put off by their glares. Squall was just then noticing a few dolphins flipping and flopping about by the lunch line. Before Squall could raise an eyebrow he felt a hand slapping his back in greeting, forcing another twitch.

"Gents!" Irvine Kinneas grinned. The sniper from Galbadia Garden snagged an empty chair from another table and joined them at the already crowded table. He was even about to help himself to a hotdog before he was stopped by a zombie-faced Zell, to which Irvine withdrew his hand and tipped his hat innocently. Resuming his cheery mood after his bounty was safe, Zell licked his fingers, releasing a contented sigh.

"That hits the spot. Oh, so did you guys hear about Selphie's thing?" Before he could elaborate, he was silenced by a tray to the back of the head by one Rinoa Heartilly, effectively knocking him into his plate of hotdogs.

"Whoa, Zell?" Irvine nudged him slightly.

"Oh..oh! Hey, guys." Rinoa Heartilly, daughter to General Caraway had joined them sometime ago, and by circumstance, lived at Garden with the rest of them despite not being enrolled herself. She forced a sweet smile and laughed nervously as Zell almost blew the surprise Selphie was throwing for their newest leader. "Sorry, slip of the pinkie." She completely ignored the looks she was given, then abruptly knocked Squall's opponent off his chair by a tray to the front of the face. "Oh, my!" She exclaimed, deftly taking his place once he fell with a meek yelp. She stared at him with a hand over her mouth, looking apologetic, though one could never really tell if that was her intention or not. Despite that, she was now across Squall and next to the other SeeD's.

"I hope he's alright. These things are slippery." She giggled, discarding her bent tray, resting her elbows on the table. She was cupping her face while she leaned in to smile at a horrified looking Squall.

"So what's up?" Rinoa broke the ice (and perhaps a man's face).

"Yo! Want one?" Zell grinned at her, the lump on the back of his head, strangely enough, had a lump with a lump on it.

"Hey there, Rinny," Irvine's voice in such a way that could melt the heart of many a lady. He tipped his hat and clicked his tongue; hook, line, and sinker.

"Squall, I wanted to ask you something." Irvine fell back out of his chair with a crash as the porcelain-faced Rinoa seemed absurdly interested in the commander.

A very defeated Leonhart sighed, and sank back in his chair. It had been days since he had a game of Triple Triad. He bested most of the students, and kept hearing about this weird Card Club, to which he had no such luck in encountering just yet. He compiled his usual team of 5 cards very carefully, and even had teams to compliment the various rules he encountered in different regions, not including random. As fate would have it, days were more stressful; the sorceress on the loose and an unpredictable Seifer in tow. Adding to that, his Ifrit was traded away. Squall still had trouble figuring out how General Caraway could travel hundreds of miles in mere minutes, lose a game to the former Galbadian Headmaster, travel those same hundreds of miles back, and slip into the mansion unnoticed by Squall.

That aside…

Squall just wanted to play, and not have these tremendous responsibilities of Commander cutting him off at every turn from the thing he actually enjoyed doing.

_Damn you Cid, damn you to hell..._

It was circumstantial, much like the rosy-cheeked Heartilly. So with his dueling partner writhing in pain on the ground, he obliged her just this once.

"Shoot." He said, sealing his dueling case with a snap, and put it back in his pocket as it was longer needed.

"So, do you remember when you said you'd finish me giving the grand tour of the Garden?" She beamed, deciding now was a perfect time to collect on his word.

_Damn me to hell…_

If Squall could look any more defeated, one would be hard pressed to assume he was stricken with _Zombie._ The sad thing was he had no way out of this one; it was his free day as Xu would assume necessary duties in his place, meaning he would only be contacted in the event of extreme emergencies. How he wished Balamb Garden was under attack right now, preferably by dudes on motorcycles; that'd be neat to see.

"Yeah.. I remember." Before he could continue, Rinoa was already up on her feet, her blue duster sweater flowing behind her cute hips like a banner as she zipped around and hooked her arm under his, prompting him to stand.

"Yay, thanks!" She pulled Squall from the table, half-dragging him off into the distance, leaving behind Zell and Irvine playing thumb wars for the last hotdog.

* * *

3rd Floor, Balamb Garden cockpit

A very bored Xu was busy looking occupied while she gazed at the clouds passing by. Normally, such a sight is quite peaceful, even therapeutic. However, it only irritated her; she preferred action over peace anytime. Would it be wrong to admit that Garden Master NORG's attempted coup against Headmaster Cid was the most exciting (fun?) time she's had in months? Perhaps it was the notion of going up against their newest commander. The idea struck her as strangely intimate whenever she thought about it these days. It lingered on her mind on more than one occasion. Even thinking about it now was making her all the more restless, and without thinking it, she slipped into sneaky Xu mode with the intent of leaving Nida to hold the fort.

"Hey, Xu…" His eyes were blood-shot, and he caught her her trying to sneak off. He glared menacingly at her from the corner of his eye. "Don't you da-"

"..Xu chop!" After judo-chopping the crap out of Nida, she set aside his unconscious form, and set the Garden on auto-pilot. Why not have it on the whole time? Then what would Nida do? Perish the thought. So with that taken care of, Xu dusted her hands together.

"Damn, I'm awesome when no one's around." She smirked, flipping her hair back in a very naturally sexy fashion as she went down the lift. As she was about to make her way to the elevator, she was stopped dead in her tracks by the former instructor, now SeeD, Quistis Trepe. She was stepping out the sliding doors and headed toward the room.

They eyed eachother warily, standing there in Cid's old office. A pregnant silence lingered as the two good friends stared eachother down. The buxom blonde smiled sweetly to the limber SeeD operative, before they broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Xu, are you shirking your duties again? Naughty, naughty." Quistis began light-heartedly, going over to her friend to perform their secret handshake. After a few elaborate meetings of the hand, slapping and turning, twisting and snapping fingers, they went off to the elevator.

"So, I hear your former student is getting to be quite the player. And I don't mean THAT kind, though that might not be too bad either." Xu brought a finger to her lips thoughtfully. The more she had him in her thoughts, and the skill he showed in action, the more it made her quiver. If one thing was certain, Squall was certainly good with his hands. Xu gasped at the thought, "Oh, my…"

While Quistis was very close friends with Xu, she certainly did NOT like the idea of her lion frolicking with her, or with any female for that matter. She hid her dislike for this very well, lest it become a confirmed battle against friends with their handsome Leonhart as the prize. No, it should not come to that, not yet.

They walked with their arms over the other, discussing Squall's talent in detail. For this was the Master King and Queen Heart; Quistis and Xu respectively. Their identities were well hidden, even to most of the Card Club. By chance, Squall even tried (□) when talking to them on separate occasions. It was decidedly hard not to give him what he wanted! Thankfully, both were on the safe side and prepared a scripted response. The elevator hummed quietly as they were being taken down to the first floor. Xu and Quistis both sighed at the thought of facing Squall, in more ways than one.

"He's getting so strong. He already defeated Cid, winning Seifer's card in the process." Xu remarked.

"Strange, I've never seen him use it. I still have to ask him where he got those diamond armors from, now that I remember." Quistis licked her lower lip, she knew it was only a matter of time for Squall to finally meet them on the fields of battle. "In any case, we have to make sure he doesn't reset the rules once he faces us." She looked off into the distance, "We'll need every advantage against him…"

Both women shivered in delight.

* * *

Squall's room, Balamb Garden

*Bounce, bounce!*

"Squall, it's neat!" Rinoa exclaimed, having a very good time from the looks of it as she was currently on his bed, bouncing her butt on its amazing cloud-like surface. She fell back with a plop, and closed her eyes, smiling contentedly. She's seen his room before, but claimed to have forgotten about it. Besides, here, they would surely not be disturbed…

"It's why I sleep there." He said plainly, leaning on the wall opposite to the bed with his arms crossed. He sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time in this one day.

_This turned out to be some tour. Why would she want to be here anyway? I only sleep here, I don't hang out here on my one free day. This has to be the longest journey yet. Hopefully Nida gets us there faster by taking the shortcut he said only he knows about. Godspeed, Nida. _

In one quick motion, she pulled Squall onto the bed as he brooded to himself. He was shocked, now face to face with Rinoa. Her hair was fanned out around her majestically, she giggled at the sight of the speechless Leonhart.

"You talk a lot, you know? It's easy to tell, because the less you talk, the more you do it.." She raised her slender, gentle finger to his forehead, just above his scar, "here." She smiled, looking up at him unabashedly. "I think it's cute."

"..What?" He was at a loss, and maybe it was a mixture of fear and confusion that kept him from moving a muscle. Either way, Rinoa was starting to gyrate her hips underneath him, intimately rubbing against his lower region as she engaged him in a normal conversation. The heat was intense, and her movements were inciting something strange from him.

"I don't mind though, even if sometimes you keep a lot of things to yourself. I think it just means that you have a lot to offer to people." She raised her hips up, her arms encircling his waist casually as she kept their gazes locked, "Everyone is looking up to you, and we're all with you." She lifted her chin up ever slight, her legs parted more and more with every passing moment they stayed like this. The comfortable weight of Squall on top of her was pleasant; she truly liked being near him. "I'm with you.." She leaned closer to a speechless (terrified?) Squall, "all the way." Before her legs could finish curling around his waist, and before her lips could…

"AHEM." A voice both solemn and displeased brought the brunette to his senses. Like the speed of a chocobo on greens, he disentangled himself from Rinoa and stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking anywhere but the two ladies in his room.

"PROBLEM?" If one woman could embody the wind, if one could be defined as badass incarnate…

It was **Fujin**.

"None." Squall, for all his cool exterior, was looking very red and very jumpy.

The silver-haired, eye-patch wearing, cat-like moving Fujin Kazeno was usually feisty; hanging around Seifer will do that to you. Rinoa trying to take Squall all to herself undoubtedly led to a pissed off Kazeno.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" The lion asked, thinking aloud for than actually asking. Fujin and Rinoa were staring eachother down, both effectively tuning Squall out. No one knows how made the first move, but what happened next to poor Squall's nice, comfy room was the charred result of limit breaks and hurricanes. The SeeD commander himself was standing there, clutching his stash of burned cards in his hands with..a tear? No, ash just got in his eye.

"Damn you all to hell!"

* * *

**To be continued**


	3. The Wall Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the story.

**A/N:** I made one change, one that I think was ultimately for the better. Hope to hear your opinions.

* * *

_I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are. ~Mewtwo_

**Chapter 3: The Wall Rule  
**

It's difficult to say when Squall felt true sadness. Much of his memories long ago were almost nonexistent, perhaps for a good reason. It's even more difficult to say when he felt truly happy. Even his time spent delving into the world of card games was the result of trying to find such happiness. To him, each win was a high; fleeting but incredibly satisfying. He could never find a balance between his love of the game and his duties as commander of Garden. If that were possible, he might have been more level-headed. As it were, the lion was fuming over the ashes that were once his pride and joy; cards acquired over a lengthy period of time.

He lost consciousness after he lost his cool, and blew a gasket. The sight of Squall collapsing in his now demolished room immediately brought Fujin and Rinoa to a ceasefire. They were both breathing heavily from strenuous bouts and flurries of attacks both magical and physical. The young Heartilly had tears and burns adorning her outfit, revealing bits of her once untarnished milky skin. Fujin fared no better, her jacket sleeves were torn apart revealing cuts and bruises; compliments of Angelo, the spontaneous pet dog which was no longer present for whatever reason.

"ENOUGH," The former Balamb student returned her deadly chakram to its holster on her back. She darted past her opponent and crouched over Squall, worry evident in her frantic movements.

Rinoa turned and gasped, quickly going over to the fallen commander, her Cardinal still braced to her arm. She helped sit him up, Fujin took the hint, seemingly past her initial rage from the sight she walked into. As both battle-scarred ladies hefted him up by the shoulders, they went in the direction of the infirmary, creating a panic amongst the passerby students that could only assume the former student was the sole cause. She was given looks of distrust, and was still not fully accepted as a whole. For this reason, the way there was wrought with chaos and strife. Fujin did her best to not bash a few heads in, for Squall's sake.

* * *

_Several months earlier…_

For better or worse, much has happened since Squall first received his cards. When he encountered Ifrit in the Fire Cavern and noticed the card of his third Guardian Force, it seemed natural to pick it up and save it in his inventory. He didn't pay much thought to the card itself, but the night of the SeeD induction celebration, he played a game for the very first time. Not because it was something he wanted to do, but because it was something in his mind that just manifested out of nowhere. The conditions were right, so it just happened.

As he pocketed the _**Minimog**_, he returned to his room with a feeling he had never known before. This feeling was the catalyst that sparked a hidden desire to let loose and live a little. He might not have known it, but the dance that night came just as natural as accepting his cards. Some forces are just beyond our control.

Ballroom floor, SeeD graduation party 

The Ballroom was stunning. A bevy of dancing couples waltzed to the music in perfect synchronicity in the massive space. It was classy event, with people dressed in formal attire, and SeeD uniforms present. Tables were filled with new SeeD's drinking, laughing, and enjoying the elegant feast set out before them. A serving lady that had been tending to tables with drinks noticed Squall by himself, leaning against the far side of the room. She gave him a look that could only be described as female appreciation. She navigated over to him, offering him expensive champagne from her tray of drinks. He obliged her by taking one, not minding the flirtatious twist of her lips. He might've smiled back, but a sip from his glass suited him just fine.

"Yo!" Zell trotted over, looking sharp and pristine for once in his life. The uniformed look suited him, if not for his tattoo and his rowdy nature. The spiky-haired companion looked right at home given that partying was up his alley. "Sup?" He was grinning from ear to ear, "Heh, guess we're both big-shot SeeD's, huh? Just wish we didn't have to wear these things. They're so restricting!" He dusted his hand on his pant leg, then proudly extended a hand to his new SeeD in crime, "Put 'er there, man, couldn't have got here without you."

The lion took another drink from his glass, leaving Zell completely hanging. The hand-to-hand specialist nearly doubled over in pain.

"Geez, SeeD or not, you're still same ol' Squall. Guess that's a good a thing." If only he knew. "I, uh- gotta go!" Zell gave a salute to his comrade and went back to the party. "See you 'round!"

Come to think of it, he left in a big hurry. Not that he minded, he was feeling good and he didn't need Zell to intrude on that. He smiled to himself, and if people noticed him they might've thought he looked too far gone with a goofy smile plastered to his face. He was just feeling really good, never mind that he was subconsciously stroking the pocket of his suit jacket, tracing the outline of his newest card.

"Squall! Heeey!" Selphie bounded over to Squall, breaking him out of his trance.

_Not again._

"Wanna join the Garden Festival Committee? You can totally help out when you have spare time. I think I told you about it before, so yeah." She must've been what Zell was taking cover from; he should've followed suit.

The taller brunette deadpanned, he was losing his high quicker by the second. Then he noticed something interesting; that he didn't quite mind her company.

"Please..? It's just that no one wants to join, and you're really cool so I think you'd help bring in people, and you can take as many days off as you like, pleaase?" Selphie clasped her hands together, looking up at him with a hopeful look in her bright green eyes.

Squall was still completely sober, so it couldn't have been the drink that made his lifeless gaze slowly transition to a much softer, inviting one. He lowered his drink somewhat and stood up straight, regarding Selphie with a ghost of a smile.

"You care a lot about that, don't you. I can tell you're putting in a lot of effort, what with the website you put up and all." He stated plainly, but with every word Selphie's eyes sparkled with pride. He spoke with a genuine interest, and he wasn't sure why no one would want to join a fairly cute girl in her little club. It just seemed very odd to him. "I'll make you a deal," Squall took a drink before elaborating, "dance a couple rounds with me, and you got yourself a member."

"Woo-hoo!" She smiled brightly, fist pumping and jumping for joy. Her enthusiasm was brief, as she soon realized that a guy was asking her to dance for the first time in her life. "Wait..dance as in..dance dance?" A mixture of confusion, nervousness, and surprise converged all over her delicate features all at once. She never imagined someone like him would actually be interested in dancing with her, let alone join her tiny group of one.

The taller brunette gave a nod, looking completely serious. Selphie was suddenly very flustered, and coupled with her perky nature, she became very fidgety and indecisive.

"Y-so you want to dance w-with me? I, I mean I never danced before." She shorter brunette clasped her hands behind her back, looking elsewhere before she felt an arm hooking under hers.

"Join the club." Squall was now half dragging her across the dance floor, Selphie squealed with embarrassment, her face positively red.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait! Heeeeeey!" She looked up at the lion, his arm encircled her small waist, and his hand held hers up, more so mimicking the dancers around him than actually knowing what was going on. There was a confidence in Squall that was mesmerizing, and Selphie picked up on it. She found that she didn't feel as shy anymore, and did not mind him holding her in such a way. They exchanged looks, both silent as they started moving to the music together.

They were by no means in sync with the rest of the dancers, and it made them stand out. Both stumbled here and there, Selphie squeaked whenever she thought she was being pulled in a direction she was not prepared for. They bumped into another couple, both shot them irritated looks, threatening to drain the Trabian of what confidence Squall instilled in her. The lion shot them a brief, overpowering glare that had them resuming their dance as quickly as it had stopped. He looked back at the girl in his arms, and smiled for the second time that night. It was infectious, and she smiled without really knowing it herself.

High up from the ballroom was a balcony overlooking the entire floor. A blonde instructor was watching the celebration unfold below, only a handful of people were with her, but they were there only for a smoke. Quistis was dressed simple; not befitting a formal occasion. Nonetheless, she was lovely in that form hugging dress. She leaned forward on the railing, currently on her fourth glass of chardonnay for the night.

"Am I seeing things?" Quistis Trepe watched with particular interest to her now former student, Squall Leonhart, and the new girl from Trabia Garden. "Imagine that," She was tipsy, and her cheeks were flushed accordingly. She pushed the spectacles on her nose up to keep from falling, sighing dreamily at the sight of her ex-student dancing so clumsily. "Cute…" She muttered, taking another drink.

"Party's down there, Quisty." Xu, her good friend, came over and leaned on the railing beside her, looking out at the elegant display of waltzing couples, immediately noticing the odd couple out. "Huh, I thought you said he kept to himself most of the time." Queen Heart tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear as she looked over to her Master King.

"Tch, he'll dance with someone he barely knows and yet he can't stand his instructor." Quistis huffed, licking the corner of her lips thoughtfully.

"That's normal for most students you know, but I can only imagine you being so close to his age would make for a complicated relationship."

"There is no relationship, that's the thing."

"Oh, poor dear!" Xu went and embraced her friend from behind, holding her curvaceous form snug against her own.

"I just don't know where I went wrong. I worked hard to get where I am, and I did everything I could to prepare my students not just for when they became SeeD, but for life beyond that. I just can't shake the feeling that I-" She was stopped by Xu, who only hugged her tighter. Quistis leaned into her warmth, folding her arms across her midsection as she swirled the chardonnay in her glass gently.

"You're smart, you're beautiful, and you can have any man you want. You don't have to be perfect, even though you come pretty close to it, " Queen Heart smirked, "Just being yourself was more than enough. Your students did great, because of you. You're here, and they're here, because of you. Cid was very proud."

"I don't want 'any' man, and I know I could've done more."

"Oh, now you're just being unreasonable..oh, Hyne." Both women looked over to the young lion and his Trabian. They were dancing like pros, waltzing perfectly with the coordination of accomplished dancers. The couple moved to their own rhythm, catching the attention of onlookers and more. Xu let out an impressed whistle. The young man was everything Quistis made him out to be; a natural leader with the capacity to adapt and thrive in his situation. She hugged the blonde instructor tighter, only briefly imagining Squall in her friend's place.

"Now, that's just not fair." Master King sighed, downing the rest of her drink. She set the glass on the railing and patted her friend's wrist. "I need some air."

The brunette nodded and released her, stepping back some to give her room.

"Going to the 'spot'?" Xu learned to notice the buxom blonde's ticks, gestures, and posture over the time they've known eachother. Needing 'air' usually meant letting off some steam on unsuspecting Gratz and T-Rexaurs in the training area.

"I just need...something." The words held more weight than they implied, and Queen Heart found nothing to say to that. She only nodded, watching her leave the balcony. Once she left, she went back to watch the man that so plagued the thoughts of her dearest friend. She heard much about him, and was impressed more than once by him. It was difficult to not let her thoughts wander, wondering what else the man had to offer.

"Squall Leonhart." She watched closely as the brunette in question looked up at the sky, fireworks being set off as the grand finale was at its climax. The room was dimmed, perfect for letting the colors and luminosity of the blasts fill the already festive room. Not once did she pay a glance to the beautiful spectacle, "..Squall Leonhart."

* * *

_Dr. Kadowaki's Infirmary, Present day…_

Eyes fluttered open, hesitant at first. Looking up, he saw clear-white drapes waving peacefully before a window. A small wet towel was on his forehead. He reached up to clumsily remove it, immediately regretting it once he noticed how hot he felt. The towel was already on the floor, and once he tried to reach for it he felt a fresh damp towel replacing the fallen one. He followed the slender hands up shawl covered arms, finally settling on a young woman with short, dark hair.

"You're awake, thank goodness." The voice was so gentle, melting away Squall's worries like a warm blanket. She was a lovely sight to wake up to.

_Where have I seen her before..? _

"Dr. Kadowaki." She called out before getting up to leave, Squall instinctively tried to reach out, but she was already out of sight.

_Who are you?_

After a good rest in the infirmary, the SeeD commander gave his thanks to the Doctor. He was given a verbal scolding, and told to take it easy, or else. Squall nodded to her; lying to her was a courtesy. There was Garden to lead and he had to be at the helm, to see to it that the sorceress is dealt with and the future of SeeD is secured. Those were his responsibilities..and there was still the matter of a certain man in possession of his _**Ifrit.**_

Once he stepped out into the Infirmary hallway, he almost missed noticing Rinoa and Fujin both fast asleep on the floor. They were on opposite sides of the wall, and both sat facing one another. It was one of the strangest things to see because they seemed so at peace together. He simply could not feel anger at the two anymore.

"Tried gettin' 'em to clear off, they weren't havin' it." Irvine Kinneas had his hands in his duster's pockets, currently enjoying a lollipop. "Never seen ladies so feisty, always took Rinny for a sweetheart. That other one wouldn't speak a word to me. Just..stared at me with that eye of hers." Squall noticed the sniper had his shotgun poised at his side, and then Irvine explained the situation following his black out.

Fujin Kazeno defected sometime ago from the Galbadian Forces, along with Raijin, after their posse' leader/friend, Seifer Almasy, had a falling out with the two of them. Their story detailed that Seifer wasn't being himself, and that he was a completely different man than the one they knew and followed. They were threatened and given an ultimatum by their old friend, so they reluctantly left in the hopes of seeking help from Garden to get him home. It was difficult explaining, but Squall accepted after a time, seeing no way they could compromise Garden on their own.

They were now seen as outcasts more than ever, so Irvine was tasked with watching over the former student, only keeping an eye on Rinoa because she chose to stay as well. Apparently, now some students worried that the returning Disciplinary Committee's intentions were not so pure. It didn't help that both women were mostly keeping quiet about what happened, there was an obvious disagreement between the both of them.

"This day just gets better." Squall palmed his warm forehead, his mind completely taken off his ruined cards and room. He wondered if he even cared.

"It ain't so bad, they said they'd get your room nice again by the time you're ready to leave FH." The sniper leaned back against the wall, his lollipop clicking in his mouth. "Say, should I wake 'em? They waited for you. I reckon they'll want to apologize and make nice by..you ok?" He folded his arms, studying the brunette with concern.

"I'm fine." The tired Leonhart started down the hall, eager to make it to the elevator while no students were about. "I just need…" He paused a moment, "something." He resumed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Oh.. alrighty then." Irvine watched him go, swirling the candy in his mouth. Once he turned to what he thought would be sleeping women, he saw that they were gone. Confused, he looked around until he found them following after Squall toward the circle area. "Well, I'll be."

Some people were just willing to risk it all for reconciliation.

* * *

**To be continued  
**


	4. The Plus Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

Disclaimer: Story is mine, that's the extent of it.

**A/N: **This features my first lemon, just a heads up.

**Edits 7/4:** Just a few fixes, nothing major.

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Plus Rule**

Balamb Garden Circle Area

"We're just really sorry. I know things got out of hand so we want to make it up to you." Rinoa bowed profusely while she pleaded their case. She looked to the silver haired woman beside her every now and then, who gave confirming nods before she continued. "We'll do what we can to make up for it." She fidgeted nervously. "I just hope you're not too mad." Rinoa and Fujin had caught up to Squall just as he signaled for the elevator. Tensions were running high. Fujin kept quiet throughout the exchange, staring unabashedly at the taller man while Rinoa expressed what she could not in words.

The tired commander ran his fingers through his hair, wondering how much of his collection of cards had gone up in smoke. He decided it was best not to dwell on it, he was told to take it easy by the doc, after all. Fortunately, Squall had a tendency to carry his rarest and most valued cards on his person. These ranged from GF cards to Character cards. Not that he questioned why the faces of people he knew in real life were on official cards of the biggest trading card game in the world.

_I need to clear my head._

"Squall…" Rinoa took a step toward him, raising her chin.

"What's done is done," his tone left no room for argument.

Fujin glared as he turned to leave, displeased by his response. This man was the commander of Balamb Garden, and he was just letting them off the hook like that? One should not forget that Fujin was once the most adamant of the Disciplinary Committee, and she would not tolerate such leniency to the wrong they've committed. Fujin pushed Squall inside the elevator before going in after, signaling for all the floors randomly with a slam of her fist. Rinoa cried out in surprise, unable to react to the situation fast enough. The doors closed, and Squall turned to face the impassioned woman. This day was just one strange turn after another.

The commander drew a sharp breath as Fujin's fist brutally connected with his cheek, his ears ringing from the amount of force behind it. The pain, coupled with the headache from waking up, had him stumbling back against the wall in a daze. A frantic Rinoa banged on the doors from outside, her yells muffled while they were lowered to the basement sub-level.

"IRRESPONSIBLE." Her glare was colder than Shiva's, and she needed only one eye to accomplish that. Fujin gripped his shoulders to stand him up straight. Squall completely void of expression, upsetting her all the more. She clenched her fist tighter and drew back, ready to strike again. It's a well known fact that Fujin communicated best through actions, and fortunate for Squall, so did he. She tried hooking him with her right, Squall narrowly avoiding the swing. There was little room to maneuver, he had to think of something fast.

"NO RESPECT?" She taunted, viciously swinging at him with her left. "NO DIGNITY?"

Squall took her by surprise when he closed the distance between them, using the small space to his advantage. He had her by the wrists, but Fujin kept them in front of her to keep from being subdued. She waved her hips about, searching for an opportunity to knee him in the gut. Squall foiled these attempts by pushing his weight on her, forcing his leg in between her stance to keep her steady.

She scowled, tempted to head butt him. He was onto her, so he pressed his forehead against hers firmly. She couldn't hit him if she wanted to at this point.

"BASTARD."

He forced her wrists high above her head, and then eased his knee in between her legs gently, eliciting a quiet gasp from the silver haired beauty.

"Do you know what you need to be taught?" Squall whispered darkly. He sensed a familiar energy building inside him, something he usually experienced when he played cards. Fujin tried moving her wrists but could not budge. A touch of pink graced her cheeks as she realized how close he was. They breathed in a similar pattern; it was hypnotic.

_**Ding!**_

The contraption signaled its arrival.

"DISCIPLINE," she answered, chewing on her bottom lip in anticipation. To her, discipline was a matter of principle, and she would not look up to someone that didn't share that in common with her. It was just the way it was.

Once the doors opened to the sub-level, Fujin yanked back the lion, forcing them to topple over. He growled as they wrestled on the ground. Fujin fought back, all while hungrily kissing him. Squall found himself parting his lips to her, to which she invaded his mouth parrying the thrusts of his tongue with her own.

* * *

Meanwhile…

A frantic Rinoa was hammering away at the call button, with a look of intense rage. How dare Fujin pull a fast one on her!

"C'mon! C'mon! Dumb machine!" Her mood darkened when the lift completely skipped her floor, rising to the upper sections. "Gah!" She pummeled the doors, random numbers in the two digits popping up wherever she landed a hit.

An astonished Irvine watched the princess from a safe distance, having just bought a can of lemon juice from a vending machine.

"I should really stop her before this gets outta' hand." He discarded his lollipop stick in a nearby trashcan like any upstanding citizen, and popped open the can of juice. After carefully thinking it over a second or two, he shrugged, "Nah, she's a sweetheart, wouldn't hurt a fly." He took a nice, refreshing swig. "Ah, good ol' lemons." He saw Selphie skipping merrily along the circle area. She had on oven mitts and a tall chef's hat, clutching a tray covered in a blankey. The scent emanating from her tray wafted over to his nose, threatening to make him levitate in its direction. "Mm, mm, mm!" Selphie home baked cookies, what a treat.

"Irvy!" She chirped, wearing that playful yellow dress of hers like no one else could.

"Sefie, ain't you a sight." He tipped his hat, flashing his lady killer smirk.

She stopped by him, smiling brightly. "Hi! Hello!"

"Those for me? Shoot, don't mind if I do!" He was about to lift the blankey, but recieved a kick to the shin as a result, "D'ow!" He hopped on one foot, clutching his leg.

"Silly, these are for Squall! I wanted him to wake up to something nice. I mean, duh? Who wouldn't wanna wake up to some yummy, yummy cookies? Hey, what's Rin doing?" She peered at an increasingly frustrated Rinoa.

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about it. You just missed Squall actually. Now, where'd that other gal disappear to?" He sipped his juice thoughtfully.

"Hmmm, he's awake already?" Selphie pouted. She had replayed scenarios of Squall showing her just how much he appreciated her gesture, some even brought a blush to her cheeks. Currently the word around Garden was that Squall had a minor cold. Quistis and Xu stressed it as such.

Rinoa whistled for her pet dog. Sure enough, Angelo came bounding out of nowhere.

"We have a dog here?" Irvine scratched the back of his head.

Selphie tilted her head, her oversized hat bent like a question mark.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Fujin panted as Squall broke the kiss, nipping eagerly at her jawline. She hissed, her hands wandered around his back impatiently. Squall grabbed the back of her thighs in an attempt to rip her pants off, equally frantic as she. They were a tangled mess as they rolled around, not knowing where to start; simply wanting everything at once.

It seemed so long ago since he met Fujin. She would say next to nothing, and was in the disciplinary committee at the time, along with Seifer and Raijin. Raijin was the loudest of the bunch, which was impressive considering Seifer was pretty loud himself. Fujin was the odd one out, but she was loyal to them; they were a posse. The smallest misdemeanor would result in strict discipline from the three, with littering being the absolute worst. It was something Zell learned the hard way. When someone littered, and the Disciplinary Committee got on your case, it was out of principle. That was what Fujin believed in most, and she lived her life like this contentedly at Seifer and Raijin's side, dispensing that belief to many.

Fujin removed her torn jacket. A thin, white tank-top hugged her body like a glove. Squall hovered over her, eying her with a cool gaze as though silently compelling her to continue. She nervously lifted her tank-top. She didn't wear a bra. Her petite, nubile breasts were laid bare for him. The candy pink of her nipples just begged to be sucked. His mouth surrounded her left breast, tugging at her nipple with his teeth. She sighed, breathless as she writhed underneath him in ecstasy. Squall had no idea she was so sensitive, thoroughly enjoying the torture he was putting her through.

Long ago, when things were considered normal, Seifer and Squall trained rigorously in the mornings. They were the only gunblade specialists, so they were ideal opponents to train against; to truly test their worth. Fujin knew this rivalry reached beyond mere training, and being the hot-headed Almasy's friend, she supported him unconditionally even after he turned his back on Garden.

"SQUALL!" She pleaded. He had her wrists above her head, making her suffer under his oral ministrations. She had only panties on, her clothes discarded in a messy pile beside her. The lion toyed with her clit through the thin fabric of her panties, her glistening sex dripping from his touch. She deserved that punishment. He switched between her breasts, tormenting her with his sucking, biting, and licking. He wanted her to be disciplined, and so did she. She panted, uncertain how much more she could withstand.

In the end, Seifer and Squall were both scarred, a reminder that any conflict between them could only be personal. So they aimed to become stronger, but to no end. That was the flaw, and Seifer wouldn't take that lying down. He was a loose cannon, but he had a dream; something to chase. So he followed the sorceress to be her knight, to defend her from a world against her. Fujin could only follow.

Squall let his belts fall to the ground. He watched Fujin's eye widen when he freed his impressive length from its confines. She was bent on all fours like a feline, and crawled to him as he stood there in all his manly glory. Fujin had the look of someone both scared, and at the same time worshiping something when she let her hand wrap around it, hesitantly stroking his shaft. At that moment, she brought her hands to his thighs to brace herself, and started wrapping her lips around his bulbous head, gently teasing it with her tongue. She worked her inexperienced mouth on him steadily, struggling to fit him in her silky lips.

The silver haired beauty looked him in the eye when she took him halfway, not gagging once. She bobbed her head slowly, building a rhythm with each generous suck. She savored the taste, trembling with delight whenever she felt him twitch inside her. Squall watched in silent wonder as a blushing Fujin eagerly engulfed his cock. This was her first time doing this, but she was adjusting quickly, using her tongue to swirl around the head whenever she pulled back. Fujin was humming quietly, sending pleasant vibrations up his body. He tilted his head back, sighing contentedly as his frustrations were being sucked away.

Triple Triad taught Squall many things: confidence, ambition, and determination. He still lacked something, but everyday brought another piece to the puzzle that made up the man he is. Fujin, at present, was teaching Squall the value of Discipline…to very great affect.

Fujin hugged his thighs when he grabbed the back of her head. She hummed in surprise when he started pumping away at her mouth, forcing the head to hit the back of her throat. Her tongue and throat muscles constricted around him reflexively, threatening to milk him of everything. Discipline! She wanted him to be ruthless, and reveled in the vicious thrusts he attacked her mouth with. Squall was nearing his limit, and she felt it. She sucked harder, her supple ass wiggled up and down from the amount of effort she put into it.

She soon managed to take every inch of him. Fujin shut her eye tightly when her nose buried against him, feeling a healthy burst of cum gushing down her throat. Her nails dug into his thighs as she curled her toes in orgasm. She gulped eagerly, not wanting to waste a single drop.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Rinoa loaded her dog like a cannonball.

"_**Pfffffft!" **_Irvine spit out his juice and tossed the can like an irresponsible citizen. Selphie's eyes went wide as saucers, the sniper having spit juice all over her cookies before taking off.

"Heey! My cookies!" She gasped, drawing the attention of a passerby Quistis sipping her bottled water. She was making her way to see if Squall had awoken yet, and much to her surprise, saw Irvine hollering over at something by the elevator.

"Selphie?" She stopped by the Trabian, who seemed very upset. "What happened to- _**Pffffffft!" **_She spit out her water at Selphie's cookies then took off after a panicked Irvine trying to stop a crazed Rinoa from shooting her dog at the elevator.

"Ehhhhh!" She shrieked, scrambling back to her private kitchen to save her baked treats, her hat bouncing as though waving goodbye, ironically enough. Several students had gathered by the stairs to watch the scene taking place. A few SeeD pretended not to notice, not wanting to deal with an upset Rinoa.

"_Angelo Cannon!" _Rinoa yelled. Angelo barked and wagged its tail happily, considering it was was about to be used as a suicide bomber. Quistis and Irvine quickly made it up the stairs, then lunged for Rinoa at the same time.

"Nooooooo!"

"Nooooooo!"

* * *

A fully clothed Fujin and Squall both leaned against the wall together. They were staring up at the glowing ceiling, a comfortable silence permeating between them for a bit.

"You didn't plan this, did you?" Squall gave her a sideways glance, hands stuffed in his pockets.

Fujin didn't answer immediately, she just stared silently before she scoffed.

"..Nevermind." Squall tilted his head back to see the elevator on its way. He wasn't certain if she did or didn't, but he felt completely refreshed after she let him 'vent', so he didn't question it further.

The jingle for an announcement rang on the loud speaker for all of Garden to hear.

"Land ho, Fisherman's Horizon! We'll be docking in just a few, ciao!" Xu concluded merrily, eager for some down time, no doubt.

_Finally, now I can get down to business… serious business. _

With his motivation restored, he felt more determined than ever. His mind was clear, and he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to win his **damn** Ifrit back.

_**Ding! **_

They both welcomed the arrival, and went in as equals. The ride up was silent, but Fujin raised herself up on her tip toes, giving Squall a peck on the cheek. Surprised, he glanced at her, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Pleased, she slung her jacket over her shoulder and folded her arms. She was anything but feminine, but maybe he liked that about her.

* * *

Balamb Garden Circle Area

The sight they arrived to had Squall palming his forehead. Irvine and Quistis were wrestling with Rinoa, all while Angelo licked Quistis on the back of her neck. She was blushing fiercely, and a vivid moment flashed in her mind where Squall's lips were on her instead of Angelo. The buxom blonde hadn't forgotten that night in the 'Secret Area' after the dance. Said man cleared his throat, alerting them of his presence and making Angelo disappear into nothingness. Rinoa, Irvine, and Quistis stopped, standing straight; alert like soldiers.

"What's the meaning of this?" Squall's tone commanded authority. Fujin sighed dreamily to herself.

"Y'know, this ain't the first time I've wrestled with more than one lady," Irvine chimed in, to which Quistis elbowed him in the side, knocking him off balance. "D'ow!"

"Rinoa, enlighten." Quistis pushed her glasses up, dusting off her dress slightly.

"Oh! Well, I was just worried! I didn't want to cause trouble honest! I just wanted to know that you were ok. And.. you.. you!" She stomped her heel, pointing accusingly at Fujin who seemed busy whistling an innocent tune.

Quistis cleared her throat. "Well, there you have it. All a misunderstanding, now can we** clear off and mind our own damn business?**" She turned to the gathered students at the base of the stairs, noticing that some even munched on popcorn. The nerve! They scattered frantically. Quistis still commanded that admiration from the students even without her instructor status.

Squall folded his arms and eyed Rinoa carefully. She squeaked, looking elsewhere.

"As for you..." Squall went over to her. "We'll talk later about your actions. Fair?"

Rinoa nodded, defeated. Squall gave her a pat on the shoulder, Rinoa smiling a little from the warm gesture. He was a just leader, but she knew there would be a consequence. Fujin looked on, intrigued. Just then, a very loud Raijin was making his way up the stairs.

"I heard there was somethin' goin' on, ya know? What's up? Someone get into trouble? There gonna be a fight?" He gesticulated wildly, Fujin went over and kicked his shin, making him hop about as he clutched his leg. "Oh, that hurts, ya know? Hey, we still goin' for a drink?"

"..NEGATIVE." Fujin started down the stairs with a disappointed Raijin in tow. After all, she had Squall to thank for her quenched thirst.

"Squall, shall we?" Quistis waited in the elevator, knowing he would want to topside once they docked.

He nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he joined her. He subconsciously ran his fingers over his Triple Triad case, it was becoming similar to a good luck charm to him. The doors closed, lifting the former instructor and the commander to the 3rd floor.

Irvine nudged the princess beside him. "Well, better get our things ready, we gotta concert to prepare." She seemed to brighten at that.

"I almost forgot about that. Ok! Let's do our best!" She wanted to make it up to Squall, and her eyes shined bright with determination.

"Oh, Rinny, if only you weren't so cute." The sniper put an arm around her, leading her to the Quad as she thought about the event.

* * *

Balamb Garden 3rd floor

Quistis enjoyed the stolen moments with Squall, as they were few and far in between. They shared a comfortable silence during the ride up, and he even let her exit first like a gentleman. Master King always seemed to sway her hips just a touch more when she walked in front of the man; she felt so feminine when she was around him.

"You seem in good spirits, think you're ready to take back what's yours?" Quistis looked over her shoulder, engaging the lion in small talk.

"I know what I have to do." He squinted his eyes, wondering if Martine was as good a player as the General made him out to be. Currently, the rules he carried with him were as follows: _Random, Same/Plus._ It was a volatile mix. For Squall however, it was the only way he could truly appreciate the complexities of the game.

"My, I hope you take it easy on the man." She smirked, signaling for the lift to the cockpit.

"Whatever. He has my card, that's all there is to it." Squall stepped on the lift, Quistis beside him as they went up. They were greeted to the sight of Xu holding a limp Nida in her arms, who wore sunglasses oddly enough. Squall deadpanned. She was standing behind him, apparently guiding his arms in maneuvering the Garden to its dock.

"Squall, good to see you're all better! Nida, salute your commander," she said nervously. Queen Heart flung his arm up to salute, making him slap his face on accident. Xu winced for him, then forced a laugh to divert suspicion. Fortunate for her, Squall was too busy with his own thoughts.

"Martine…" Squall muttered. He looked out to the vast, man-made island that was Fisherman's Horizon. It shined under the setting sun beautifully, but Squall was thinking of the man that awaited his challenge from within.

"So, enjoying yourself?" Quistis folded her arms under her full bust.

"No, this is still just the beginning."

Quistis chuckled, gently gripping his bicep. "Well, I can't wait."

* * *

**To be continued  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Are any of you readers interested in what happened with Squall and Quistis in the 'Secret Area' on the night of the dance? I realize that some people just simply do not like flashback sequences. I don't mind them personally, but I do value opinions. I'll be on vacation for a week or so. I'm guessing that's why this entry feels so long. Either way, thanks for reading.


	5. The Same Plus Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

Disclaimer: Whatever.

**A/N**: So my vacation went swell, and I wanted to carry on with the story. Thanks for favoriting/story alerting/reviewing/reading. Also, this isn't a lemon...I think.

**Edits 7/22: **I felt it deserved a touch up.

* * *

_Ah, good ol' lemons. ~ Irvine Kinneas  
_

**Chapter 5: The Same/Plus Rule**

Xu is a woman of many talents, and she possessed something so below the radar that truly complimented her line of work. It could also be said that in Balamb Garden little got by without her knowing about it. So it was no wonder she was leaned back in a chair, enjoying a smoke in her private quarters while she watched the video feed of a very interesting spectacle. She puffed with a smile, watching Fujin greedily swallow everything the dashing commander had to offer.

"Damn, now that's impressive." She put out the cig in her ashtray and tucked it back in the desk drawer, "Suppose I should be checking on Nida by now." The SeeD operative grinned, "I think I overdid it that time, hah." She disconnected the feed and got up to stretch, "Work grind!"

Queen Heart was many things: cunning, witty, loyal, and disarmingly cute. She glanced at herself in the mirror right before she left, watching her double give an alluring wink.

"Right back at ya." She clicked her tongue and set off to dock Garden.

* * *

Fisherman's Horizon

Squall knocked on Martine's house a fourth time much louder than before.

"This better be the right place." He tapped his foot impatiently.

Mayor Dobe wasn't exactly thrilled to see that they had returned after what happened last time. He was even more reluctant to give away where the former Galbadia Garden Headmaster lived, which Squall currently doubted was the right address. He didn't expect Mayor Dobe to have him close to his abode.

_Heh._

"Maybe he's really pale and decided to go tanning. Heey, we should check out the other side of town. Or we could even go fishing for…" Selphie glanced at her moogle wrist watch discreetly, "Four hours and twenty seven minutes. C'mon, it'll be fun! Like a picnic, only with fishing!" She hopped animatedly.

"I doubt he'd tan this late in the afternoon. And picnic fishing?" Squall raised a brow, "Anyway, I'm not budging until he gets back or answers the door."

_Martine… _

Selphie gave a pout, deciding to use the same tactic she employed with her parents whenever she wanted her way. She took a very deep breath before holding it in, a nagging look in her bright emeralds as the little brunette stared down the incorrigible man.

"What?" He leaned against the door watching her inquisitively. It didn't take him long to realize what she was doing. "You're kidding."

Selphie's fists trembled beside her tiny waist, her face redder by the moment.

"Selphie."

"…"

"Come on." Squall noticed the hint of purple around her cheeks. Now he was getting worried; the well-being of his teammates was pretty high up in his priorities. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and propped his foot against the door as he called her bluff, "Whatever."

"Mmmm!" She held out bravely, stomping her boots in defiance.

Squall simply couldn't take it anymore and groaned. He went and shook her by the shoulders, "Fine! Just cut it out."

She felt victory and much needed air filling her once he conceded. Selphie lunged at him for a hug smiling brightly, "It'll be fun, you'll see." The color returned to her face like nothing happened at all. The girl was craftier than people gave her credit for.

"When are we coming back?" Squall nudged the girl in his arms.

"In four hours and," She unhooked an arm and glanced at her moogle, "twenty minutes, yup yup!" She let go and tugged him by the jacket sleeve, "C'mon, and you still never said if you'd teach me to play cards, mister. So don't go thinking I forgot about that." She felt great having succeeded in killing two birds with one stone, as the saying goes.

Her task was to get Squall away from the sun panel as far as possible. Seeing as how he would likely come to the mayor's house for information, she went along with him as insurance. Making things more difficult was the fact that Martine literally lived behind the mayor's home. So Selphie couldn't believe her stroke of luck when the former headmaster didn't answer, and resolved to use her ultimate power of persuasion. Not to mention she would also be getting some quality time with Mr. Leonhart in the process.

"You still want to learn?" Squall was truly surprised at that.

And did she ever…

"Duh! Why else would I ask, silly?" She started skipping ahead. She made sure she was a safe distance from Squall before whispering into the concealed mic in her collar, "_Operation: Paaartay _is a go!" Selphie happily switched off the microphone once the unsuspecting commander caught up.

"I could just teach you here while we wait you know." He tried reasoning.

Her cheeks puffed when she held her breath again.

Squall palmed his forehead and gave up without much fuss, he really didn't fancy seeing her change colors again so he gave her a pat to snap her out of it. Selphie couldn't contain the giddy feeling in her chest when she slid an arm under his. Her plan was just going so well, and then some.

Quistis watched exchange from afar with a scowl, and switched off the receiver once she got the signal. She glared at Selphie arm in arm with the commander; she just knew a threat when she saw one. She could deal with that later however, at least the plan worked and now they could get down to business.

"Alright, listen up!" She turned to address the group present. They consisted of Selphie's Garden Festival Committee, Zell, Irvine, Rinoa, and even Fujin and Raijin. "We have about four hours to complete the stage, then unload and set up the equipment for the band. FH has a very expansive power grid, and thankfully have given us permission for use in the show. A technician will be arriving shortly to connect the power."

"So it's gonna be a big deal with lights and stuff? Man, you guys are going all out, ya know?" Raijin stretched his arms wide.

"Of course! The band I got to come and play is really good. I just hope Squall likes instrumental..." Rinoa rubbed the back of her head nervously. It was short notice, but with the funds Rinoa managed to pull, she got them to agree.

"It's Sefie's masterpiece. So we gotta make it happen no matter how large." Irvine brought his fists together.

"Yeah, great, can we hurry it up now?" Zell seemed strangely moody.

"Just to be clear, does everyone know their task?" Quistis pushed her glasses up.

"AFFIRMATIVE." Fujin and Raijin nodded to each other. Their task was to keep everyone in check and provide assistance when needed, Disciplinary Committee instincts kicked into full gear.

"_**Yes, ma'am!" **_The Committee yelled in unison, bringing their fists in the air to pump themselves up. Their task was construction, and having gone over the plans with Selphie many times, they burned it into their memory.

"Let's do our best!" Rinoa joining in the committee's rallying cry. Her role was to look and be cute.

"Leave it to us, Quisty." Irvine tipped his hat with a smirk. His job was to aid Zell and the techie in readying the equipment for the band.

"Yeah…" Zell glumly kicked a rock aside. He had a very good reason to be this way, after all.

"_Ma, just you watch!" A young teenage boy with messy blond hair wore a strange contraption with different instruments attached to his body, and it was clearly handmade. "One day, I'll get super rich and famous, and you'll be seeing me on stage performing in front of tons and tons of peeps!" _

_Ma Dincht was busy scrubbing dishes when she turned to look at her boy in the doorway. He looked absurdly cute so she couldn't help but giggle. He tried a couple tunes by blowing into a mouthpiece that played the flute. He played a violin with one hand, and strummed a guitar with the other. He even wore tap dancing shoes, kicking his heels to his own beat. Ma Dincht fell to the floor laughing at how unimaginably cute he looked, not at his dreams or his playing. It was actually a catchy irish jig._

_Crushed, Zell stormed to his room, his shoes clicking as he walked about which made his ma burst all the more. He punched his bed many times that night. One day, he replaced his instruments with a giant punching bag which he struck ritually each passing day. He got a tattoo on his face one late afternoon, upsetting his ma very much. So became the Zell Dincht everyone knew and loved(?)._

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Woo hoo! I got something!" Selphie sprung to her feet, gripping the fishing rod and wrestling it back and forth to claim her catch, "Gosh, it's pulling me so hard."

"What?" Squall had been frustrated from the long wait and no nibble, and he couldn't fathom how she got the first bite. He rushed over to instruct her while standing closely behind, "Keep your legs apart. Pull to the side!"

"Uh-huh, got it!" Adrenaline fueled her limber body into action, but the fish pulled back fiercely, making Selphie lose her balance and fall, "Nyaa!" She shut her eyes expecting to hit the water, but Squall acted quickly and held her by the waist.

"Focus." He pulled her against him, Selphie bent forward as she cried in relief.

"Phew, that was close. Oh, it's pulling me again!" She was thankful for Squall's support keeping her from falling in. "It's so big, I don't think I can take it." She squeaked.

"You can do it. Take it, it's yours." He encouraged, bucking hard to add his strength to hers.

"You're right." The little brunette pulled with renewed vigor when she felt him from behind, "C'mon ya big monster! Is that all ya got?" Selphie confidently thumped her tight butt against Squall as she yanked the rod back, trying with all her might to make it come.

"You can do it, almost." Squall was groaning from the strain, but kept at it valiantly.

"Squall, I can feel it coming… there… there!" She cheered, wiggling against him as she made that monster come forth with a massive flourish. An old man fishing with his grandson nearby had his mouth wide open as he tried desperately to cover the young boy's eyes and ears, much to the youth's annoyance.

The lion fell back with Selphie on top, the squirming prize lifting high up into the air before flopping to the wooden deck. Both SeeD lay there breathless, completely spent.

"Nice catch." Squall let out a sigh of relief and subconsciously grazed his hand over her slender thigh, her yellow dress hiking up just so.

"That was a big one, huh?" She sat up, straddling him as she looked over to her prize. "Wow! It's huuuuuge."

Squall glanced to the side, and it was indeed an impressively sized fish. He actually felt a swelling of pride; he might not be such a bad teacher after all.

"Heeey, look." The prize flopped closer and closer to the edge.

"Aren't you going to claim it?"

"Why would I, silly?"

"Then what was the point?"

"It was fun." She playfully bounced on him, unknowingly using his bulge like a springboard. "Oh, am I squishing you? Sorry." She couldn't help giggling when she heard him groan. Selphie lifted from his lap before offering a helping hand, "Up, up we go." There was a wicked grin on her features once he was on his feet, "Squall, what on earth is that?" She pointed to the uncomfortable looking tent in his pants, "Don't tell me you hurt yourself."

"Come on, we're going back." He went red, slouching discreetly as he could manage.

"Oh, we still have to go shopping!" There was roughly two and a half hours till the concert would be ready; it was much too soon for him to go back. She quickly latched onto his arm to pull him in a different direction.

"For what?"

"Stuff..?"

"What 'stuff'?" He countered.

"The kind of stuff… a girl needs! Private stuff! You don't ask about these things, don'tcha know?"

"Then it makes no sense for me to go if it's an issue of privacy."

"…" She was doing 'that' again.

"Fine." Squall mumbled.

"You're the best." She chirped, tugging him away from their fishing spot.

* * *

Balamb Garden

Xu stood in the doorway of her commander's room, studying the mess with a dull stare. She went over to the broken desk, the charred remains of Squall's old cards seemingly burned into the wood, "Poor guy." She had sympathy for the man, something that she didn't feel much toward anyone. Her hand grazed along the depression of the desk before she found a Triple Triad card that was perfectly intact. She flipped it over and saw that the other side was blank, strangely enough. Xu studied it front and back, sniffing it curiously.

"That's odd, there's no sign of imperfection or anything; it's pristine. Guess this one got lucky, but why is it blank?" She scanned the rest of the room when her eye caught the glint of something by the window. She pocketed the card for later and negotiated her way across the mess, debris crunching at her steps. She saw a picture of a young boy and girl holding hands. She picked up the small picture frame and blew the dust away. They stood in front of a sunny beach, and the boy looked happy. The girl beside him had a gentle smile as she looked to the side. She deduced from the look of it and its condition, Squall hadn't laid eyes on it in some time.

"Is this our Commander Leonhart? He's got the looks no doubt." She put the frame down when she heard steps down the hall. After dusting herself off she went for the door, but not before taking one last look at the picture from afar. "I wonder about that other girl…"

"Xu?"

"**Operative** Xu." She corrected, years spent earning that title meant she expected it as such.

"Oh, sorry. Is this the place?" The man asked. There were three others with power tools, buckets, and various cleaning equipment coming up behind him.

"Yes. I trust you've been briefed." She folded her arms.

"Of course. If we find any remaining personal items we'll bring them by, Operative."

"You have my thanks. I'll contact your boss when everything is finished." Xu mentally kicked herself for not having a bigger pocket for the picture. She couldn't risk being seen with it, lest she draw any wandering glances.

"Alright, bring it in." The head worker signaled his boys to begin work on cleaning up and remodeling the room. If their reputation was as good as the mayor said, then they would finished before noon tomorrow.

Xu was making her way along the Circle Area when she bumped into another girl. Normally Xu didn't have to move aside for anyone because it was just natural that others yield for her.

"Oh, forgive me." The girl bowed her head slightly, wrapping her green shawl close.

"You're forgiven." Xu smirked, only walking past when the other female stepped aside.

_I wonder how long Ellone plans on sticking around. _She wondered, but shrugged it off when she signaled the elevator. The other girl in question disappeared into the library where she usually spent her time, something Queen Heart was well aware of.

Ellone waved politely to the Girl with Pigtails, who smiled in return. She went to her usual spot with an issue of Timber Maniacs tucked neatly under her arm. She made herself comfortable, not minding the idle chatter of a few students nearby as they studied together. This kind of environment was ideal for using her _gift;_ she could blend in easier. She reached in her shawl to extract the blank card she had skillfully taken from Xu. Almost no one got the jump on that deadly woman, but Ellone was special in a way that couldn't be described. She was also lucky enough to spot the outline in Xu's suit pocket.

"I'm sorry, but I have to keep trying." She whispered, opening her magazine as she held the card in her hand. She cleared her mind, focused her body, and let herself be taken away to a time long ago…

* * *

Fisherman's Horizon City Square

"Soo, whatcha think?" Selphie spun around once, showing off the hip hugging jeans to Squall.

"It…looks comfortable." He replied neutrally, his face felt warm as he leaned back in the chair. She was in a yellow spaghetti strap tank top that stopped just above her belly button, and had on white jeans that really made her playful colors pop.

"Yep, they're pretty neat. It almost feels like a second skin, weird right?" She turned her back to him while she looked in the mirror and patted her hips for emphasis, the dimples on her lower back just barely peeking above the waistline, "But I like this. It's cute."

"Then get them and let's go." He seemed impatient.

"But I haven't even tried this on yet." She pouted, holding the purple silk nightie to her chest, "Pleeease?"

"Do you really have to?" Squall shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Just the thought of having to sit through watching her change again was enough to make him sweat. Strangely though, the changing room started to blur as he focused on the little brunette modeling for him.

"I'd really like your opinion, Squall. It'd mean a lot, really!" She stood in front of him, for once taller than he.

"Whatever." Squall grumbled.

"Booyaka!" Selphie pounced him, the curly flips of her hair tickled his neck as she burrowed her nose in his shoulder.

"Just…make sure you…" He trailed off, feeling dizzy.

_What's that noise? It's ringing in my ears. _

"Squall?" She rubbed her cheek against him, feeling his warm breath on her earlobe. She shivered, but felt very sleepy. Selphie snuggled against him, moaning softly as the sharp sound started to echo in their ears like a wicked lullaby.

_Not again… _

The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was lifting an arm around a peacefully snoring Selphie.

* * *

**To be continued**

* * *

**A/N**: Happy 4th of July! And you guessed it, Laguna and co. will be featured in the following chapter. Laguna and Squall also seem to share one particular weakness. Wonder what it could be...


	6. The Same Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

Disclaimer: It's a doozy.

**Edits 8/4: **Some error fixes.

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Same Rule**

Magic has always been a constant force in the world that touched the realms both physical and ethereal. Every force of magic no matter how slight, left a trail in its passing from one form to the next. However, only a truly gifted sorceress could detect these arcane signatures and find their provenance from the ether. This was the very reason Sorceress Edea had kept silent as she mentally scoured the world for any source of Time manipulation. That form of magic was this woman's specialty, and only one other existed in this era with the potential to rival her own someday.

"There you are..." Her body trembled as she sifted the elements; she could almost taste the essence of Ellone's _gift_. Repressed emotions from past, present, and future took form in a cold smile on her ebon lips once she found what she was looking for. She severed the mental connection and floated up from her meditative stance, long black tendrils retracting into her headdress as she stood.

Since the failed attempt on her life, plans had been set into motion to eliminate all SeeD. Galbadia and its forces were at her disposal once she dealt with its president. Galbadia Garden followed shortly after once its faculty and students were driven out, so it was now their own personal war vessel. A missile strike was recently attempted to eliminate Trabia and Balamb Garden, but the launch had been sabotaged by the timely intervention of Squall's task force, and Trabia Garden was still intact as a result. The missiles bound for Balamb Garden managed to execute successfully, but with its mobile functions activated they narrowly avoided destruction. Now the Sorceress had only one goal: to capture Ellone by any means necessary.

The Sorceress' Knight was busy sharpening his gunblade deep in thought. Edea sauntered over to him from behind and brought a hand to his shoulder, bringing him out of his reverie, "Do you know why memories are so precious?"

Seifer nearly lifted his sword in alarm before he being pacified by the grip on his shoulder. He's been on edge ever since stopping near Centra Ruins. Something inside that place whispered out to him in his dreams, a vision of white and blade calling out its challenge. It compelled him to go, and his intention today was to ready Hyperion before leaving, but now that his sorceress was finally awake he was going have to postpone his little excursion.

"Memories are impossible to change even with magic," she said huskily as her thumb circled Hyperion's tip. "That is why they are so beautiful. The past simply cannot be altered." Her hands fell beside her as she paced about the room. "The future however...fair game."

Seifer resumed putting the finishing touches on his blade, the stone screeched with each grind. "Sounds twisted to me." He blew on the stone once and stuffed it in his pocket. "I want a straight answer, Matron. Why the hell are we waiting around?"

"Manners cost nothing, boy." Edea tilted back with a sigh. "A simple _please_ would not go amiss." Wings sprouted behind her when she cast _Float._ She let herself fall back in the air as though sinking into a comfortable bed, a moaning softly as she stretched her limbs out generously.

Seifer watched curiously as she floated about. He was suspecting that she kept him in the dark about a number of things; a gut feeling on his part. Still, he had to believe that the sacrifices he made up until now were worthy of this cause. His old friends had to be worthy of that much.

"I'll just come out and say it." His gunblade disappeared with a wave of his hand, "This has been on my mind for some time now." He got up from his seat, and tilted his head with a _crack. _

"Have I done something wrong?" She feigned hurt.

"I'm just pissed off," he spat, "and I can't fuckin' sleep near that place." Seifer pointed out to the ruins nearby.

Edea lazily rolled on her stomach, curling a wispy lock of hair. "Charming as ever," she sounded bored.

"What's so special about this girl Ellone? We're trying so hard to find one person when we should be out there finishing off the rest of SeeD. We have all these resources and we're wasting them by chasing a damn ghost. And Squall…" He slammed a gloved fist to his palm. There was a fire in his eyes like something waiting to emerge for the whole world to see. "I got a score to settle with puberty boy."

Squall had bested him one on one in Deling, so Edea fought with the SeeD shortly after and narrowly won. She cast a deadly ice spell that hit Squall with crystal shards embedding into his chest. Seifer noticed that her magic did not pierce his flesh as it should have, and that confused him more than anything else. Whether Edea meant for that to happen or Squall had magical protection was a complete mystery. The SeeD managed to pull back and drag a winded Squall from the battle amidst the panicked crowd, but Seifer captured Rinoa in the process and took her to D-District Prison for questioning. It wasn't long after that Squall coordinated with Fury Caraway to rescue his daughter before any useful info was extracted.

Failure upon failure…

"You will have your chance soon enough we make for Fisherman's Horizon. That is my order." She shifted to her side dismissively.

"FH…" Seifer said through gritted teeth, "You're still after that damn girl? Our men were already pushed back once and they found nothing! If she wasn't there the first time why the hell would she be there now?"

"**Do as I say**! **How dare you-" **The room had begun to quake with her rising temper, so she took a moment to collect herself with a deep breath because she was far too tired for this. Edea lowered herself carefully, and leaned in close to whisper in his ear with a motherly cadence, "Have faith, all will be well." After that she returned to her meditative spot to lie down, held aloft by magic as before.

Seifer had never been so intimidated in his entire life. He wiped his forehead on his sleeve and left without a moment to spare; it was time to chase the ghost for better or worse.

"Oh, and Seifer? Be a dear and prepare the men for battle before we arrive," she said with a yawn.

* * *

_Many years ago..._

Winhill was a quaint little village, and very beautiful this time of year. Spring brought a healthy abundance of white flowers that gave the village a fresh scent unlike anywhere else. The town square bustled with children playing and Galbadian soldiers making their way to posts. From inside one of the homes was a long haired man playing a game with a little runt of a girl. From afar it would be easy to assume that they were both enjoying a friendly game of cards, certainly nothing out of the ordinary.

"Argggh! My leg!" Laguna felt it cramp up for the third time since they started playing. His opponent was beginning to suspect trickery, but it was just a nervous tick he was burdened with; only cards and women had such power over him.

_This is a nightmare! I can't be sitting here losing to my little munchkin. It's gotta be a dream! _

At present the man was getting his ass handed to him by a toddler. The rules were: Same/Plus, Random. The board was as follows:

Row 1: _**Elastoid**_ left, _**Red Giant **_middle, _**Cactuar**_ right, Row 2: _**Forbidden **_middle, Row 3: _**Sacred**_ left, _**Leviathan **_middle, _**Ward**_ right.

Only the left and right sides of the board remained vacant, and Laguna only controlled _**Cactuar**_ and _**Ward**_. The score was 4 to 6 in favor of the little girl.

"C'mon Uncle Laguna! It's still yoo're turn," she said while gripping her last card excitedly. "But I think I got yoo."

It's been a year since he and his pals washed ashore from escaping Centra. Laguna was injured the worst, and he might not have survived if it weren't for the girl's adoptive mother, Raine. She nursed him and his friends back to health in Winhill, during which he started teaching little Ellone how to play cards. She had developed a close bond with the trio of friends and took to calling them all her uncles. After bonding so well with her favorite uncle it was only natural to introduce her to the coolest game in the world, and Raine didn't like that one bit.

Laguna glanced at the _**Imp **_and _**Geezard**_ in his hand, seeing no clear way to win this one. It was ironic that he loved a game that consisted of one of the things he hated most: math. Kiros took jabs at him for that on a daily basis. Ward only shook his head on the matter.

"Eheheh, you're doing pretty good alright." He tried keeping a positive attitude, but he was really starting to panic. Laguna would never hear the end of it from his comrades if he lost to a little girl, but thankfully they weren't around.

"Hey, you're not doing too well." Kiros poked his head in from the window.

"Ahh! What the- How are you..? Ahh!" Laguna was startled by the giant Ward looking over his shoulder.

Ward grunted thoughtfully as he examined the board. He got this strange look in his eye that only Kiros seemed to catch; being that only he could ever interpret what the mute was thinking. Kiros entered through the window now officially intrigued after picking up on Ward's thought process.

"Uncle Wardy! Uncle Kiros!" Ellone jumped happily. "Look, I'm winning!"

Both spectators rubbed their necks nervously at that, a confused Laguna doing it for a different reason altogether.

"Yeah, looks like it. You should scoop, Laguna," The darker man said with a cough.

Ward nodded in agreement, sweat rolling down his temple.

"You guys suck at emotional support." Laguna pouted.

"Yoo have to keep yoo're promise, 'kay?"

_This is it… Good bye, cruel world!_

The gun specialist closed his eyes as if accepting his fate. He could only imagine the jokes he would have to endure after this one. Laguna might be so scarred that he could very well end up quitting the game altogether.

Ward and Kiros watched with eyes like saucers as their pal selected the _**Imp. **_Hearts pounded like drums as Laguna randomly set the card to the left side of the board.

_**Ping!**_

And despite being horrendous at mathematics…

_**Flip! Flip! Ping! Combo! **_

…there was no denying how much Lady Luck adored the man.

Kiros and Ward slapped their heads in defeat while a baffled Laguna and Ellone watched the shenanigans below. _**Imp **_triggered a Same/Plus Combo which flipped Ellone's _**Elastoid, Red Giant, **_and _**Forbidden**_ in one go; there was just no way the little tike could catch up let alone win.

_**You win!**_

"Holy moogle sandwich, that was awesome!" Laguna got up for a victory dance sans machine gun.

Ellone looked between her uncle and the board with a somber countenance, her bottom lip quivering just so.

"Ooo, I can't wait to get my hands on that!" Laguna soon noticed all the silent stares on him and felt another nervous tick coming on. "I meant the card, not the sandwich."

Ellone lowered her head in defeat as she wiped her eyes. A grimace took form Kiros as he shook his head. Ward remained passive.

"I mean that's figurative, and totally impractical within the scope of sandwiches you know?" His buddies started getting up to leave. "I mean the effort it would take to cull enough moogle meat for even one sandwich would be just…" They didn't look back when they left for the door. "…just silly," Laguna sat down and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, cause sandwiches are meant to be an easy meal, something you slap together in a matter of minutes, right Elle?"

She sniffled and gathered up her cards.

"A-and having to skin, cut, and season a bunch of cute moogles? They don't sell that at the deli! Right? So I'd have to get all DIY on it, and Hyne knows where I'd even find the moogles, anyhow." He was beginning to feel a bit desperate.

The toddler pocketed everything but the _**Ward**_; she knew he would want that most.

"It's like for goodness sake, I've got sliced ham in the fridge all ready to go-"

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Hm?"

"I said I was sorry." Ellone looked up tearfully.

"Hey!" Laguna was goaded into action when he saw that face, and went over to embrace her by the shoulders. "Hey, it's ok. Win some, lose some right? Oh! I bet you wanna get even, huh? Yeah! A grudge match for the ages!"

"I don't want yoo t'leave..."

"You mean..?"

"_So then yoo have to stay with me n' Raine forever n' ever!" Ellone proclaimed with confidence. _

_Laguna ruffled her hair; she hated that. "Aww, you sure you can take on the master?"_

_Raine paused from drying her glass and looked over the counter, watching them sternly. _

"_Mhm__, but yoo have t'promise." Her lips pursed as she patted her hair down. _

"_You're just so cute! Right, let's d-d-d-duel!" He gave a snap with his fingers._

"_Yay!" _

"_How about you d-d-d-don't and finish your chores! Both of you!" Raine barked as they pattered out the door, "Ouuuu..." Deep down maybe she wished victory for her little girl. Raine started wiping the counter furiously at that. "Whatever." _

"Hey, you wanna know a secret?" Laguna gently pressed his forehead on hers.

Ellone's weeping kept building with each convulsive breath.

"I get scared sometimes."

"Re-really?" She hiccupped in between sobs.

"That's right." Laguna rubbed the sides of her shoulders affectionately, bringing a measure of comfort to the girl. "I get scared of waking up somewhere else. I worry that I won't see you again…that I won't see Raine again."

His munchkin calmed down slightly, and what was once sorrow was replaced with an unexpressed longing to know. Even at this age she could empathize so effortlessly.

"You wanna know what I say to myself before I go to sleep?"

She nodded with interest as she wiped her runny nose.

Laguna made a wrinkly face and gave her eskimo kisses. "'Oh, prease ret it be this room when I wake up! Prease ret me be in this puny bed when I wake up!'"

Ellone giggled in between sniffles. "Yoo're so weird, Uncle Laguna."

"Yeah, yeah." He nuzzled her briefly. "But you know…at least I'm not ticklish!" Laguna launched an all out tickle attack on her belly.

"Nooo! I have t'pee!" She squealed and tried running away.

"Muahahaha!" He caught her and hefted her under his arm as she squirmed. His cards lay forgotten as they laughed hysterically on the way downstairs.

"Uncle Laguna! I wusn' lyiiiiing!" Ellone whined in between fits of laughter.

"…Ahhh!"

So it was on this lovely afternoon that a womanly shriek pierced the heavens above. Nestled birds scattered from the trees. Children stopped what they were doing outside. And inside the local pub was a smiling Raine sweeping her bar as she enjoyed the moment like sweet, sweet music to her ears.

* * *

Fisherman's Horizon

Quistis stood proudly under the night sky as she appraised the finished stage. She still couldn't believe that they finished with plenty of time to spare even without Zell's help. He just suddenly went out like a light without much warning, the nerve. Even so, Master King was in a favorable mood and now all they had to do was wait for the band to arrive.

"I'll admit I had my doubts." She ascended up the stage with a smile, the complex spectrum of lights danced beautifully on her. "I'm impressed. Well done, team," she addressed the group below. The buxom blonde removed her glasses and tucked them in her suit pocket as she basked in the luminescent hues of green and blue, the white strobes flashed vibrantly above where she stood. "God, the power guy did an excellent job. How's it looking from down there?"

The Garden Festival Committee looked at Quistis dreamily. Their jaws dropped and their fatigue lifted up into the radiant orgy of flashing lights. It was lovely in that it wasn't overdone, but a simple wonder fit to be adored by the eyes; both woman and technical marvel alike.

Fujin and Raijin were sipping on energy drinks while they took in the fruits of their labor.

"Yeah, she's a beaut." Irvine clicked his tongue as he climbed onstage. "But what's a stage without the main attraction? Could use some love if you ask me."

Rinoa perked up nervously.

"I agree." Master King clapped her hands once. "Alright, so the band will be here any minute right?" She scanned over the team until she spotted the tip toeing princess.

Fujin casually blocked a startled Rinoa's escape route. "Eep!"

"I'm just going to assume that you were off to let the band know we're ready." Quistis' lips twisted bitterly at what she hoped was not the case. "They **are** coming, right?"

Zell sat up sleepily with a stretch, his eyes immediately drawn to the finished stage, "Holy cow." He rubbed his eyes.

"Well you see, uhm, the thing is…" Rinoa tried sidestepping Fujin to no avail as she counter stepped each time. "Uhm."

"TALK." the one-eyed beauty folded her arms defensively.

A furious vein throbbed on Quistis' temple as she smiled sweetly. "Care to share with the rest of the class, Ms. Heartilly?"

Irvine face palmed. "Oh, brother."

"I'm sorry! They're a Galbadia based group so they didn't want to get involved with us. They called when everything was almost done to cancel last minute. I guess I should've said something sooner but you guys were just working so well and we were all just in high spirits. I didn't want to ruin that. I know I'm doing it now but…I don't know. I'm sorry." she bowed apologetically to the demoralized group.

Fujin scoffed irritably and crushed the energy drink in her hand. Raijin scratched his head while he processed what she told them.

It was difficult to forget that they were at war with a sorceress with complete dominion over a country. From the outside, it was easier to brand SeeD as political extremists bent on killing Galbadia's ruler. So it was no wonder the band's agent canceled the gig.

A couple of the Garden Committee bickered nondescript amongst themselves.

"Then it was all for nothing?"

"Ah, man, this sucks."

"Knew I should've dropped the club…"

"Good game everyone."

Zell listened to the situation passively. It turns out this beautiful stage was going be rather lonely, and that seemed unjust for a number of reasons.

"Perfect. I knew this was going too well." Quistis rubbed her temples.

Irvine added his thoughts. "Looks like we need a Plan B, and fast. Sefie oughta' be back soon with our honored guest."

"Hey, maybe we can be the band, ya know?" Raijin's idea seemed fairly reasonable to Quistis.

"Hmm, even if we did find the talent there wouldn't be much time to rehearse let alone figure out what's what." Master King chewed her nail. "So how do we go about that?" She thought aloud before noticing Zell was awake. "You! Seeing as how you didn't pitch in, now's your chance."

"Huh? Me? Whaddaya want me to do?" The fighter felt himself sweat under the former instructor's glare. "I don't know how to play."

"Tough. Shit." She put her high heel down menacingly. "Onstage. **Now**."

"Whoah! You can't be serious!" He started backing away from the group. "Uhh, Fujin?"

"IMPROVISE." She made a lightning quick grab for his wrist and yanked him against his will. "UNDERSTAND?"

"I swear we should just make you do the whole thing as punishment. Who falls asleep like that anyway?" Quistis snapped.

"Guys! C'moooon!" Zell's struggles were futile, but the child inside him did yet rejoice.

* * *

Elsewhere...

When Squall finally came to, the first thing he noticed was how hot he felt. He nearly jumped in his seat when it dawned on him that Selphie was still straddling him, and it struck him odd that she was still out cold at that; usually their time in the Dream World meant they would wake up around the same time.

"Zzz…mew…Zzz…mew…" Her gentle snores sounded more like purring the way she intimately nuzzled her cheek to his, "Mmmh…" She had her legs curled up on either sides of his waist so she could snuggle him comfortably, and she was pressed so closely that he could feel her chest heaving slowly with every breath.

Squall cleared his throat awkwardly as he nudged the little brunette. "Hey." He had to get her off fast. They've been inside the changing room for so long that he had to wonder if anyone noticed.

"Zzz…mew… gentle…mew…" She suddenly parted her coral blushes to nip his ear between them. Tingles rippled down his spine when he felt her warm breath on one of his most sensitive spots, he was barely able to suppress the shiver. Selphie's tongue then slipped past to graze the tip of his earlobe. The sounds of her lapping away incited the blood to rush to his manhood like a beacon.

"Selphie?" She was really getting into it because she started using her teeth to tug at his earlobe, flicking the tip with her naughty tongue every so often. Squall could not stop the growing discomfort in his bulge as it expanded underneath her.

The owner of the shop called out, "A few more till closing time!"

_Damn, why does this happen to me?  
_

Squall brought his hand down her back to shake her a little. "Stop. We have to go, you little-ugh…" He tilted his head back when she started grinding back and forth on his throbbing cock, making his hand drop lower down her back until he felt the dip of her feminine curve. The incessant nipping coupled with her movements surfaced a strange bevy of emotions that dared to conflict with reason.

"Squall…" She let out a sleepy moan.

He palmed his forehead in frustration. "I can't believe I'm going to do this." Things were getting too wild, and she wasn't even aware of it. There was a moral standing that he had to uphold, and he would not give in so easily! So Squall raised his arm up high while he endured her torturous ministrations, took a deep breath, closed his eyes and…

_**Spank!**_

"Wake up!" He came down hard on her.

"Eeehhhh!" Selphie knocked him over in his chair when she jumped up, "Oooowwwww! Owowowowow!"

He hit the wall with a grunt and toppled over sideways.

"Squaaall, it huuuurts! What was that for?" She tenderly rubbed her butt.

Squall clumsily got to his feet. "Sorry," he winced when his fingers brushed over the aching spot on his head, "You didn't leave me much choice."

"You could've, I dunno, not done that!" She leaned her chest against the wall, cupping her back end with a frown. "I was having such a nice dream too. Sir Laguna was so nice, unlike **some** people." She stuck her tongue out. "Hmph."

Squall breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on, we should get going."

_But didn't she call out my name in her sleep? _

"Hey, Squall? It…it really hurts."

"Not much I can do about that," he huffed.

"Can you carry me?" Selphie turned to face him imploringly. "Pleeea-oh, uhm..." Her expression had gone from hurt to mischievous in no time at all. She was looking at his tented crotch with a grin. "You're hurt too, tee hee."

Squall covered himself instinctively which actually made Selphie more curious. Their time at the fishing spot convinced her that he was hiding something interesting, and him trying to cover it up made it all the more so.

"Soo, whatcha hiding?" She approached him excitedly, forcing him to step back. "What is it? Can I see? Huh? Can I?" Selphie bounced on her tip toes.

"None of your business." He backed up until he felt the wall.

"If you're hurt because of me, I want to make it up to you." Selphie put her hands on his chest and stared up at the much taller brunette. "I mean, you'd do the same for me, right?"

"Well…you're my teammate."

_Smooth._

"See? So lemme see! Lemme see!" Before Squall could protest, she was happily unfastening his belts, her small hands making quick work of them.

"Thank you for your business!" The store owner called out. Squall nearly forgot they were still in the shop.

"We have to go-" he froze. In seconds she had pulled out his thick cock for both to see, in all its veiny glory.

Selphie just stared in wonder with round, sparkling eyes, "...s-so big." With a trembling hand she reached out, a childish curiousity urging her to touch.

Once more the owner cried out, "Closing time!"

Squall was brought back to his senses when he heard the old coot calling out again. He quickly pulled his pants up and secured his belts much to Selphie's disapproval.

"Heey!" She tugged at his belts again, but Squall lifted her up bridal style to both stop her and take her with him. "Wait a sec! Squaaall! Ouuuuu…" Selphie pouted in defeat as he kicked open the door and took off running.

"Thank you for your-oof!" A bag of gil hit the owner's chest.

"Whatever!" And Squall zipped out the exit with a whining Selphie in his arms. At least she got the first thing she asked for.

* * *

**To be continued**

* * *

**Mini Glossary**

1. Scoop: To surrender, concede defeat in a card game; scoop your cards and leave!

2. DIY: Do it yourself.


	7. The Sudden Death Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

**:Lemon Warning:**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Sudden Death Rule**

Balamb Garden Library

Ellone brushed away the tear rolling down her cheek and closed shut her magazine. She rose from her seat and stared fixedly at the table in front of her with a faraway look, her delicate knuckles pressed firm against the wooden surface. It seemed as though nothing had changed at all, and that was upsetting.

_What do I have to do? _She slammed her fist down in frustration. "Ugh!"

The Girl with Pigtails was returning several texts back to their bookshelf when she jumped in surprise. She could've suffered a nasty fall considering she was on a step ladder. It was near closing time right now, so it was just the two of them in the library. She cautiously stepped down, and went to investigate the fuss.

"Why…" Ellone mumbled something the librarian didn't quite catch. Before the Girl with Pigtails could go ask what was wrong, she felt a touch on her shoulder. Xu cupped a hand over the librarian's mouth before she could scream bloody murder.

"Not one peep, comprende?" Xu's commanding tone was something the timid girl couldn't contend with.

She nodded meekly and was let go. "But-"

"Ah, ah, that's more than a peep. Am I going to have to discipline you?" Xu licked the corner of her lips suggestively. "Run along."

"Ye-" the girl stopped herself the instant she saw a grimace on the lovely Queen Heart. She bowed her head curtly, and went out into the hall without a moment's pause.

Xu tucked a few strands behind her ear with a smirk and went over to join Ellone at the study area. She pulled up a chair beside the other brunette and took a seat, picking up the magazine nearby as she did. Ellone could already feel a migraine coming on when Xu began with, "Some light reading?"

_**Found an old issue of Timber Maniacs!**_

Ellone huffed in response.

The SeeD operative flipped a page meanwhile. "Have a seat."

…

"Thanks for the offer, but I was just leaving."

"It wasn't an offer." She licked her thumb to turn another page.

…

"Excuse me?"

"Not yet. So sit."

…

After carefully weighing her options, Ellone reluctantly did as she demanded. Her hands rested on her lap politely, but the bitter twist of her lips betrayed that modesty. They sat together in a heavy silence, only the sound of pages being flipped every so often reminded her of Xu's presence.

…

"These are always such a drag aren't they. I see why you didn't bother finishing it."

"Why, have you been watching me the entire time?"

…

"Heh, not exactly."

…_**You finished reading it!**_

The magazine vanished in Xu's hands once she read the last article. They tended to do that, and no one seemed to question the phenomena. Ellone mentally scolded herself because _any_ other form of reading material would've sufficed for discretion.

"I was just really interested in the article about…" Ellone couldn't even remember the page she was on. With Xu having read the entire thing just seconds ago, she doubted she could trick her way out of that one. The short haired brunette was beginning to feel her frustrations stack higher and higher against her.

"Listen, sis, the longest I've stared at anything in any page certainly didn't consist of any words."

Elle couldn't recall how long it's been since anyone called her that. Her body tensed at the mere mention.

"So," Xu scooted closer and whispered, "let's have a little chat."

* * *

It seemed natural to have her in his arms like this, and her light figure was easy enough to carry considering his limbs were still half asleep. It had been a very long day, and Squall was close to calling it a night. That would be the reasonable thing to do, but Selphie always saw things in a different light. It bewildered him how such a petite thing could possess such boundless energy and never stop.

"Squaaaall," she whispered loudly.

_Never…_

"Yooohooo."

_Stop…_

The little brunette waved a hand in front of his deadpanned expression. "Earth to Squaaall."

"I can hear you just fine," he muttered.

"You know what sounds great right now?" She was beaming brightly.

"A cold shower."

"That's right! It cools you off on a hot day and helps tighten your muscles after a good workout. In fact, many professional trainers all around the globe recommend it for-wait a sec! That doesn't sound good at all!"

"You have no idea," he let out a sigh.

Never in his life had he been so worked up. Selphie had done a splendid job of giving him the worst case of blue balls…twice. If that wasn't enough, just a little while ago she had whipped his dick out for curiosity's sake. The Trabian actually stared at it, and maybe she was curious enough to go further at the time. Whatever the case, Squall didn't want to dwell on it.

"As I was saying, you know what sounds great? Apple pie."

Squall perked a brow. "Doubt they have any around these parts."

"Hmm, you're probably right. It's a good thing I can make my own, tee-hee."

"You can bake?" He seemed intrigued. One of the few pleasures Squall indulged in was sweets, after all.

"Sure as sugar. Cookies, pies, cakes, you name it!" She winked. "All from scratch."

"Huh." Now she was making him hungry, only this time for baked goods.

Selphie leaned in and gently stroked his chin, her voice just above a whisper, "Like my sweet buttermilk pie with pure, creamy, maple-kissed filling."

"Y-you don't say."

"Ooo, and rustic plum and peach crisp pie with oat crumbly crust. With a yummy dollop of smooth, creamy vanilla ice cream? Doesn't that sound super duper?" She cooed.

Squall imagined her prancing around in a kitchen wearing only an apron tied around her body. She bent over to stick a delicious looking pie in the oven, and then turned her head to the side to flash him a show stopping smile. He was blushing fiercely at the thought. Selphie seemed to enjoy herself immensely as she continued stroking him, eliciting a quiet moan from the lion.

"Super duper…" he mumbled in a trance like state.

Selphie giggled and wiped away his drool. "Hey, do you even know where you're going? Sheesh, Squall."

"Hm? Oh." He licked his lip.

"You must really like sweets, huh?" That little detail might come in handy later, and she was already scheming in the back of her mind.

"Yeah," he sounded a little embarrassed to admit that.

"Awwwh." Selphie firmly squeezed him. "If you're nice, I might let you have some of my warm, juicy pie…"

He was about to protest until she mentioned that last tidbit. Squall could already feel his mouth water at the thought of savoring the little brunette's delicious pie. "Deal."

When the Sun Panel finally came into view, the commander let out a relieved breath. There were two students from Garden standing at the edge and looking out to the center. It went without saying that the Sun Panel was huge. To Squall, it resembled an empty swimming pool of colossal proportions, even more so considering how curved it was. Squall went up to the edge and followed their stares toward the mayor's home.

_What is that?_

The center of Horizon shined brightly in the night, making it impossible to tell what it was from afar.

"Whoa, so pretty." Selphie patted his shoulder.

Squall took the hint and gently set her down. "What is it?"

"Hehe." She bounded over to the steps and waved him over. "Let's find out!"

It's not as though he had much choice. Martine's home was down there, and he still had his _**Ifrit**_. The commander stuffed a hand in his pocket, and felt a card he didn't remember putting there. Curious, he pulled it out and flipped it over, and it was blank.

_This again? _

He thought it was destroyed when his room was trashed, but the card always seemed to find its way to him no matter how strange the circumstance. Before he could give it much thought, he felt small hands tugging at his jacket sleeve.

"C'mon, slow poke!" Selphie chided.

"I'm going, I'm going." Squall slipped the card in his jacket and descended the steps with her.

* * *

"I don't know what you want me to say." Ellone gave Xu a sideways glance.

Queen Heart leaned her cheek on her knuckle. "You're awfully cute when you're shy. You know that?"

Elle scoffed much to Xu's delight.

It turns out that Xu was curious as to why a girl like her would risk her stay at Balamb Garden just for that blank card. Instead of catching her red handed when it was taken, she decided to wait and see what Ellone would do with it. After monitoring her closely for some time, Xu still couldn't make heads or tails as to why she would just stare at it for no apparent reason.

The operative reached into her suit pocket for a thin metal case. She opened it with a _click, _and retrieved a cig. "And to answer your question earlier: yes, I was watching you."

"Not long enough, or else you would know that I don't have _it _anymore."

"Then you wouldn't mind a good old fashioned pat down?"

"E-excuse me?"

"Anyway, I'm more interested as to why you wanted it in the first place." She slipped the case back into her suit and brought the smoke to her lips."Feel free to take your time; we've got _all _night."

The sound of her steel lighter seemed to chime in agreement.

* * *

Squall was truly at a loss when everyone started clapping and cheering at their arrival. The Garden Festival Committee was the loudest with their whooping and howling. Quistis and Fujin were the modest ones of the bunch, clapping dully as they glared at Selphie, arm in arm with Squall. Raijin had the biggest grin on his face, and Irvine removed his hat as a show of respect.

"Am I missing something here?" Commander Leonhart was confused more than anything else.

Irvine pointed up to the stage. "Sefie, care to do the honors?"

She flashed him a smile and nodded. Selphie unhooked her arm from Squall's and went over to climb onstage, looking ecstatic as she grabbed the mic from its stand, "**Testing…one, two. Ahem, Squall**! **You 'big' stud**!"

He slouched reflexively at that. "Hey now…"

Everyone turned to look up at the Garden Festival President. She was looking brighter than ever with the radiant hues of green and blue dancing on her.

"**This is your night, and all of this is our way of showing appreciation for everything you've done,**" she said proudly, gesturing around her with wave. "**For me personally, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping save Trabia Garden. I'm just so happy to have you…a-as our leader! Heheh.**" She rubbed the back of her neck and blushed.

The committee swooned at their president.

"**Anywho! Enjoy the show!**" She returned the microphone to its stand and carefully hopped down.

Quistis noticed the rose tint on Squall's cheeks, but her jealousy was brief. Her attention went back to the stage where a smiling Rinoa was dragging a defeated looking Zell, front and center. The spiky blonde had the strangest contraption strapped to his body. A guitar was secured around his torso, a violin to his shoulder, and a flute to his collar. The sight of that alone was threatening to coax a smile from the lion.

_Heh. _

"Ok, just like we rehearsed," Rinoa whispered encouragingly.

"It hurts to live," Zell groaned.

The princess took the mic. "**Give a big hand for our very own Zell Dincht!**"

Raijin clapped madly. "Wooo!"

While the rest of the group clapped along hesitantly, Selphie sneaked her way over to Quistis. "Uhm, where is the band?"

"You're looking at it." The blonde nudged her glasses.

"Haha, no really..."

"Really." Master King took a breath before explaining. "Rinoa's band was Galbadian. Turns out they didn't want to get involved with 'political terrorists' so they did us the courtesy of canceling at the last minute. We had to find a back up."

"You mean them?"

Quistis nodded toward the duo when she heard tapping, prompting Selphie to turn and see. Rinoa was kicking her shoes in a upbeat rhythm, arms behind her back as she concentrated on her tap dancing. She sped up the tempo when she felt everyone's stares on her, Squall included. The princess made eye contact with the commander and felt her resolve strengthen under his gaze. She was now determined more than ever to give a knock out performance.

The Trabian went slack jawed. She didn't know Rinoa could tap dance so well, and in front of an audience, to boot. She had to wonder what Zell was doing up there, standing like a **_Mesmerize_** caught in headlights.

When Fujin met Zell's stare, she made a slitting motion across her throat. The hand-to-hand specialist slipped into action and frantically blew into the flute's mouth piece. It was a rather catchy tune, and it complimented Rinoa's fluid tap dancing. More bizarre was how well the duo performed, considering they had only minutes to prepare.

Once Zell started drawing the bow over his fiddle, he started strumming the guitar with his other hand. Snaps were set on the strings of both instruments to allow single hand play, but no one was sure how Zell managed to play the flute with just his mouth; there were no visible tweaks to it.

Quistis chuckled with a hand over her mouth. They were actually quite good, but it was just so amusing to watch Zell perform. She wasn't alone in that way of thinking, even Fujin had to smirk because it was unlike anything she had ever seen.

Irvine offered a hand to the curvy blonde. "How 'bout it, Quisty?" Apart from his usual shit eating grins, he actually seemed genuine when he smiled at her.

She glanced in Squall's direction briefly and saw him looking their way. "I'd love to." Quistis took his hand and danced with the handsome sniper. Though focused on Irvine's gaze, her thoughts wandered elsewhere...

"_Mh! Ah! Squall!" Instructor Trepe moaned under her former student's probing tongue. She ran her fingers through his mane and bucked against his strokes. "Don't stop. Don't you dare," she whimpered, trying desperately to keep her glasses from falling amidst their passion. _

"COMMANDER?"

The lion shook his head slightly before turning to Fujin. "Oh, I'm surprised to see you here."

It wasn't long until other students joined in dancing. Selphie spun amongst her committee simultaneously, completely lost in the cheer. Raijin just moved his body like it was his first time dancing, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. Rinoa and Zell were really into their irish jig and they showed no signs of slowing down.

Fujin nodded towards a small, secluded spot nearby. "A MOMENT?"

Looking around them now, everyone was busy having a good time to pay them any heed. Fujin and Squall were the odd ones out, so he wasn't averse to the idea. "I guess."

Fujin led the way with Squall following closely behind.

Irvine lifted Quistis' hand to spin her around. "Smooth moves, Quisty!"

The blonde searched for Squall during the flourish, but was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until Irvine pulled her in that she spotted him with Fujin. They were walking toward the edge where Horizon's center ended and the Sun Panel began.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Hm? No, it's-" Quistis couldn't see them anymore. "It's fine. I mean, I'm ok."

The sniper flashed her a heart melting smirk. "If the lady says so."

* * *

Ellone coughed several times the first time she took a drag. The smoke entering her lungs didn't go down so well, and it seemed like her coughing only worsened each time.

"Hey, don't force it." Xu gently rubbed Ellone's back to ease her convulsions.

"Sorry, it's my-"

"I know," the operative said with a grin, "I've been there."

"I don't understand why you like this stuff. It's a bad habit, and it's unhealthy." Ellone wrinkled her nose slightly as she brought the cig to her mouth again.

"Oh, bless your idiotically pure heart." Xu breathed smoke out her nostrils.

"You're a bad influence."

"Not the first time I've heard that." She leaned back in her seat. "So, you never saw him again until now, is that right?"

"Yes, but he doesn't remember- uhm, may I?"

"You may."

"Thank you." Ellone tapped her cigarette over the ashtray Xu had set out, and then brought it back to her lips, "Squall didn't remember me." There was a shadow of sadness on her face as she spoke, "I didn't expect him to. It's been so long."

"You've been around a bit, why haven't the others said anything?"

"It may be that they too have forgotten."

Xu crushed her cig into the ashtray. "Unlikely."

"I seem to recall your SeeD junction Guardian Forces."

"I never believed in that memory loss bullshit."

Ellone took one more drag from her smoke before snuffing it out in the tray. "I have no reason to lie to you of all people. Your loyalties are clear, and I care about Squall more than you know."

"Hm, it just boggles the mind how all of this comes together. Children from the same orphanage grow up and become SeeD, and are now fighting together against their former caretaker? Fuck."

Ellone frowned at her choice of words, but agreed nonetheless with a nod.

"So, where does _that_ card fit into all of this?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I just know that I feel this energy whenever I hold it. Matron entrusted it to me before her SeeD took me under protective custody."

"She never said why?"

Ellone shook her head.

"And you're certain Commander Leonhart is in possession of it?"

"I would stake my life on it."

Queen Heart let out a moan as she stretched. Everything they talked about only served to raise more questions instead of answer them.

"Excuse me, Xu?"

"**Operative **Xu**…**"

"Oh, right, operative." She cleared her throat. "What do you plan to do now?"

"That," Xu sighed, "is an excellent question."

* * *

Fujin and Squall were sitting beside one another, their legs hanging off the edge of Horizon's center. Rinoa and Zell had drawn a small crowd at their show; people seemed really taken by them. Even the Mayor eventually stepped out with his wife, Flo, to watch them play. So it was looking more like no one would be bothering them anytime soon. Despite that, neither seemed willing to speak first.

"Woohoo! Shake it Rinny!" Selphie cried out from afar.

Both of them turned their heads at the same time, but stopped when their gazes met. Their way of communicating was more subtle, and more than enough was said when Fujin gently grazed Squall's cheek with the back of her hand. The brunette subconsciously leaned into her touch, goading Fujin to scoot closer to him.

Irvine could be heard whistling and hollering.

The silver haired beauty was caressing his cheeks, but it was more like she was trying to comfort herself through him.

"Fujin?" Squall whispered.

Her answer came in the form of a kiss, tender and brief unlike their first time. Squall didn't have time to return it as she pulled back to look him in the eye. "PROMISE ME...that we'll bring him home."

_Seifer. That's what this is about._

"Still haven't given up on him?"

"He's my friend, and I want to help him, Squall."

_It's likely that we'll have to face him again._

"I understand if you can't make that promise. Fighting him is inevitable."

"I have no intention of harming him. However, if push comes to shove, I can only promise that I won't kill him."

"Even if it meant saving your life, or that of a squad mate?"

Squall went silent.

Fujin tipped his chin. "Don't make a promise you know you can't keep."

* * *

Everything was full of music and cheer for a better part of the night. Zell shocked everyone with his talent and rediscovered his love for music, and even decided he would write songs in the future. Rinoa tap danced the hell out of that stage, and was in dire need of a foot rub, something that Irvine happily obliged to. The Garden Festival Committee had formed a Selphie Tilmitt fan club (no affiliation to their current one) by the end of the night. Selphie herself returned to her kitchen to bake a delicious apple pie while high on life. Fujin retired to her room, and Raijin stayed up watching cartoons.

It was far too late for anyone to be in the Training Area, so that's where Squall went to clear his head.

_No encounter yet?_

He strolled through the miniature jungle, pausing only when he spotted the path leading to the 'Secret Area.' Although that's what they called it, many students knew about it. It's where couples went to hang out or mingle back then. It was closed off ever since Garden went mobile, but it being a side entrance meant it would have a scenic view of the outside.

…_Why not?_

And so he went down the path.

…

He came upon the view and saw someone standing there, looking out at the ocean. Squall had a good idea who it was judging by the shapely figure, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets, and went over to join her.

Quistis hugged her body, the crisp sea air brushing her long bangs. "What are you doing here?"

Commander Leonhart leaned against the wall. "I'm your superior. Shouldn't I be asking you?"

It was actually kind of dangerous to be standing here like this. There was no railing or veranda separating them from falling into the water below.

"If you think pulling rank is going to work, hah."

"Whatever." He closed his eyes and let the breeze comb through his hair. The feeling was soothing, and he could see why she would want this to herself.

"I noticed you weren't there for the rest of the show."

"Did you?" He thought back to her dance with Irvine.

"I did." She frowned.

"Sorry."

"I didn't ask for an apology. I just made an observation."

"Hn."

It was just like this when they spoke back then, too. But eventually…

_Quistis nervously bent over, bracing herself against the railing as Squall slowly hiked up her dress. The 'Secret Area' was empty, but there was always that danger that someone might find them, maybe that just made what they were about to do much more exciting... She shivered when the cool air brushed against her glistening sex, still very tender from his previous tongue lashings. He pressed the bulbous head of his cock against the Master King's slit, forcing her open with a slow thrust. _

_"Ahh!" She cried out, her virgin tight walls straining around him like a vice. Squall shuddered, and dared to go deeper inside her maidenhood. It was only when he felt the thin, fleshy resistance inside her that he stopped. He looked over to her for the first time and noticed how rosy she was. Her hair clung together in strands from sweat, and her glasses were fogged just so. Her being such an erotic mess was a sight he never wanted to forget._

_"Am I hurting you?"_

_She shivered, but just knowing it was him inside made the pain bearable. "I've wanted this for so long..."_

_"Quistis..."_

_He grabbed hold of her hips to help push her against him, easing himself deeper until he finally felt the resistance giving away. Quistis bit down hard when he broke past her hymen, pain immediately shooting through her body. Squall couldn't believe how incredible it felt to be inside her tight little pussy. It was hot and soft inside her, and it felt like she was sucking him in with each thrust. The ex-student moaned as he pumped in and out of the whimpering Instructor Trepe. Despite being slightly buzzed from her drinks before, she couldn't resist gripping the railing until her knuckles went white from exertion._

_He kneaded the sides of her curves in excitement, relishing how her shapely ass slammed against him. The buxom blonde never knew such mixture of pain and pleasure, and she couldn't deny how amazing it felt, having him go at her from behind like a lion in heat. She turned her head to the side and said something he never expected to hear from her._

_"Shoot your **fucking** SeeD inside me."_

_Squall felt himself burst. He squeezed her supple butt tightly as he unleashed jet after jet of cum inside her. Quistis bit her lip and grinned, marveling at the creamy warmth filling her to the brim. He groaned, feeling her tighten around his monstrous length. It was like she wanted to milk every last drop, and he was perfectly willing._

_"Squall..."_

Even now, standing beside her former student, she couldn't find a single tinge of regret in her. Even after she saw him leave the group to be with Fujin for Hyne knows what. Even after she saw the way he and Selphie looked at each other. Even after everything, no regrets.

The commander broke the silence after a while. "Can I ask you something?"

"That's new."

"Hear me out."

She sighed.

"When the time comes, do you think people here will confide in me?"

Quistis raised a brow. "When the time comes? Expecting trouble so soon?"

"Not really. I guess I'm just...worried that I might let people down."

She gripped his shoulder firmly, almost like a reflex when she felt something was on his mind. "Listen, it's normal to be a little worried, it just shows you care. Everyone here knows what's at stake, and how dangerous our enemy is, so you can count on us doing everything we can to ensure that we all make it through. And if worse does come to worst, I'll still have your back. I promise you."

Squall felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. And seeing her now, with the moon shining off her silver-rimmed glasses, he could think of no one more capable of keeping their word.

_Fujin tipped his chin. _"_Don't__ make a promise you know you can't keep."_

_They looked at each other in silence, her words sinking deeper than he could've imagined. His answer, much like hers before, came in the form of a kiss. Fujin tilted her head, parting her lips in welcome._

Quistis gasped when Squall encircled his arms around her waist to pull her against him. "H-hey! Mmh!" He pressed his lips against hers, and her struggles ended as quickly as they began. Cold showers could wait.

* * *

**To be continued**

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone following, and an even bigger thanks to those that reviewed. Your encouragement is oddly motivating. Also, a special thanks to sadistic lunatic and Traingham for their inspiration and support.


	8. The Elemental Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

**:Lemon Warning: **

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Elemental Rule**

A woman with flowing auburn hair peered outside the window, watching the concert taking place outside. The music brought her fond memories of a land far to the east, but she was focused on something else entirely. She lifted her chin up high and narrowed her eyes to slits, letting her gaze wander over the handsome SeeD Commander. She felt a sudden urge to run her fingers through his silken mane, watching as a gentle breeze ruffled it slightly.

Her rouged lips curved into a smile when she recalled her first meeting with him, and the nonchalance he displayed when she introduced herself as The Queen of Cards was strangely amusing. Balamb is where they first met and played a game of Triple Triad, it was also the last she had seen of him until tonight. Looking at him now, she could tell something had changed. She wondered what happened to make him look so…

"Warm," Martine called over from his kitchen counter, pouring a glass of cabernet sauvignon. "Isn't it?"

The Queen giggled. "Maybe, but I don't mind."

Martine filled another glass with wine before going over to the window where she stood, drinks in hand. "Then would you also not mind sharing a drink with me?"

"It's sweet of you to offer. I'm afraid I must decline." She slid the curtain shut when she saw Squall walking off with a silver-haired woman.

"I insist. It's not often a lady of your standing just passes through," he said with a chuckle. "And you must have little time for yourself these days. It might be nice to relax in good company, highness."

"Former headmaster, have you not yet divined what my 'passing through' was about by this point?" She walked around him to examine the world globe sitting on his coffee table. "I travel across the entire world to personally monitor and enforce the various card rules. And I'm nothing if not a responsible Queen, such that I cannot accept your offer. Moreover, I have what I came for." She gave the globe a spin with the tip of her finger, the vast continents blurring with the ocean blue before her.

"Ah." He stood there holding her wine awkwardly.

"That said, have you decided which rule you wish for me to spread?" The rotating sphere was consecutively slower with each spin, so she gave it another whirl before it could stop completely.

Martine cleared his throat and set the drinks on the window sill. "I have," he said as he looked out the window. "You know, lately it's been feeling like _something_ is about to happen. Whether it's good or bad, I can't rightly say."

"Maybe it's both, and maybe your answer is _Elemental_."

The older man grinned. "You are the Queen."

She spread her arms out and closed her eyes, doing only what she, and no other, was allowed to do.

_**The Elemental Rule has now spread across this region. **_

The spinning globe had come to a slow halt. The face of the world tilted in such a way that made a particular country stand out, leading to the wicked smile crossing her lips. It seemed as though fate was showing her the way once more.

Martine came up beside her to look at the globe she seemed so fixated on. "Your highness, if I may, why were you so adamant in acquiring _that _card? I understand that _**Ifrit**_ is a one of a kind, but to come so far…"

"If you must know, I'm working on a _little _side project, former headmaster."

"Please, you may call me Martine."

"I'm aware," she tilted her head to glance at the taller man, "former headmaster."

"Ah."

"And this project is not 'official' Triple Triad business, mind you, but I consider it very high priority. You see, only two things ever happen in this world." She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small trade binder, opening it for him to see.

Martine was at a loss for words when he saw nothing but blank cards in the first page.

"These things either happen by chance or we make them happen."

With their business concluded, Martine politely showed the Queen to the exit. He held the door for her, allowing her majesty to step outside into the festive night. She was already descending the steps to his home when he called out, "There is one other thing I should mention, highness."

"Mm?" She cast him a sideways glance.

"_**Ifrit **_once belonged to Squall Leonhart, Supreme Commander of Balamb Garden."

"I'm aware."

"Are you also aware that he will come for you no matter what?"

Like an actress, the Queen of Cards brought a hand next to her mouth and laughed.

It took a moment for Martine to catch on. "…you want him to."

"Do you really think I'd leave something like that to chance?"

Martine leaned against the doorway and stroked his chin. "I see. Then will you be staying in FH for now?"

She continued down the steps and waved a dismissive hand. "This region is getting boring. I'm going to head toward Balamb."

* * *

Balamb Garden

Xu couldn't sleep; paranoia and spiked coffee were a remarkable way to keep someone up. She was in bed with her laptop, searching Garden's intelligence network for records on Edea and her orphanage. Some of the information was surprisingly well classified for anyone but Squall and Xu, piquing her interest all the more. She skimmed through many old photos of previous orphans before finding the original gang of six: Selphie Tilmitt, Irvine Kinneas, Zell Dincht, Quistis Trepe, Seifer—_Huh_ —Almasy, and Squall Leonhart. They were all gathered around Edea, a beautiful, older woman with hair blacker than night. Each of them smiled, save for…

"Commander Leonhart." She took a sip from her mug as she studied his stern expression. _Were you ever a child?_

As if remembering, Xu got up from her bed and went to check the box beside her door. She opened it and saw what remained of Squall's belongings from his room, courtesy of the remodeling team. She found the picture of a younger Squall and Ellone amongst the other ordinary items. Xu reached down and picked up the frame, butterflies filling her stomach when she saw the pearly whites on the tiny lion.

"It's like he doesn't know how to smile. Too cute."

She was about to close the box before noticing a little black notebook; it must've been covered by the picture. Curiosity got the better of her, so she set the photo aside. Xu discreetly bent down to pick up the notebook, feeling as though she was being watched, oddly enough.

"I should probably respect his privacy and all..." Queen Heart flipped it open and dashed back to her bed, her oversized shirt fluttering wildly. She tossed herself against the mattress, expecting to find something juicy and scandalous. "But let's see what's in that mind of yours, dearest commander! Oh, please be a closet perv!" She shakily turned a few pages until she came upon a list.

"Mmm, now that's what I'm…talking about?"

It was a list of rare cards with the owner's names scribbled beside them. Some of the entries were crossed out and marked with a happy face, presumably because Squall acquired them. Xu's eye twitched as she kept skimming the list, noticing that some cards lacked an owner's name; these entries had a sad face with question marks coming out of its head. In disbelief, she kept flipping the pages and saw nothing but lists!

Xu gasped when she saw her _**Carbuncle **_was listed an entry. Her heart sped rapidly in her chest, but she found comfort in that ridiculous looking sad face next to her card. She sank into her bed, closing the notebook with a heavy sigh before fanning herself with it.

"Fuck me."

* * *

"**Fuck me**!" Quistis cried out in bliss, arching her back and gripping the bed sheets while Squall hovered over her, pounding into her with reckless abandon. She could feel her body being jerked up and down with each powerful thrust, her glasses slipping further down her rosy face. Her legs were wrapped around his body of their own accord, allowing him to sink deep inside. Their bodies glistened from the sheen of sweat coating them, a result of _Haste_ augmenting their sexual experience.

"You asked for it," Squall growled, feeling his muscles tense up. The sunlight entering through the window panes shadowed his chiseled body in just the right places for her to marvel at.

The buxom blonde arched back further, her orb-like breasts rising up against Squall's awaiting mouth. He engulfed her left breast with a moan, trapping her pink nipple in between his teeth. She smiled warmly for a moment before biting down on her lip, a bevy of emotion washing over her. And while she enjoyed being ravaged by his deliciously thick cock, Quistis took pleasure from the various sounds emanating around her. She enjoyed the sound of her bed post whacking against the wall, the squeak of her mattress as they moved, and the singing of gulls outside celebrating their fourth time for the night…or morning as it were.

"Cum! God, just please cum!" Quistis was on the verge of tears. Their entire bout was like a prolonged orgasm that threatened to make her lose all grip on sanity.

Squall enjoyed watching her squirm and beg, something that might've stemmed from long afternoons being lectured and scolded by his Instructor Trepe. And when he thought he could hold out no longer, Squall unleashed himself in her tiny pussy. Quistis covered her face in embarrassment, feeling herself constrict around his cock to willingly accept the burst of warmth coating her insides.

Commander Leonhart shuddered at the sensation of being squeezed, and then leaned forward to slide his arms beneath her shoulders, warmly embracing her. Quistis soon dropped her hands from her face to encircle her arms around him, hugging him back tenderly as they panted against each other. This was her favorite part, the sensuality that followed after a rigorous bout of passion. She stared at the ceiling and wondered if this was all a dream, but listening to him breathe was a comforting reminder that it was anything but. She thanked him by brushing her lips against his smooth cheek.

"What time is it?" the exhausted blonde muttered against him.

Squall exhaled deeply and tilted his head, glancing over at her nightstand to check the clock. "Quarter past 7."

"Oh well."

"Hm."

Quistis felt him shift slightly, so she reluctantly let go of him so he could roll onto his back next to her. She brought her legs together after he pulled out, wincing softly at the lingering pain. They were staring at the ceiling now, catching their breaths and trying to make sense of what _this_ meant. The spell of sex was slowly being lifted and replaced by rational thought, so the buxom blonde pulled the covers over her milky white breasts, only now aware of how exposed she was.

_Things have changed, haven't they? _

The sun was shining brighter now, and already a few students could be heard bustling outside her dorm.

Quistis gazed at him from the corner of her eye. "Are we… What is this?"

He didn't answer immediately because he was wondering the same thing. The first time they had sex was a new experience for both of them, but they didn't discuss it because they had to make a hasty retreat from the 'Secret Area' that night. Looking back on it now he could've handled it better; he could've spoken to her about what happened.

_Are we more than just comrades? I don't know…_

"Squall." Quistis shifted on her side, pushing herself up with an elbow as she gripped the covers to her chest. "Did you hear me?"

_And then there's Fujin and Selphie. What am I to them? What are they to me? This is a pain..._

Quistis dealt with this side of Squall more times than she'd like, but this was the worst time to be experiencing it. Ignoring the sinking feeling in her chest, she adjusted her glasses and got out of bed, taking the covers with her and leaving Squall naked.

Commander Leonhart was snapped from his reverie when he felt the warmth leaving him, making him cover his groin reflexively. Squall sat up and watched her step into the bathroom. "Quistis?"

She stopped, turned her head, and scoffed before slamming the door.

He was still for a moment, listening to Quistis turn the shower on from the other side. Squall scooted over to the edge of the bed, planting his feet on the floor and sighed. He ran both hands through his mane as he leaned forward, elbows on his thighs. "Damnit."

There beside his foot was the white-faced card; it must've slipped out his jacket when they practically tore their clothes off. He reached down to pick it up, looking it over with a passive expression. Then it hit him; there was a reason why he came to FH. Squall glanced to the bathroom where Quistis showered, listening to the sounds of streaming water hitting against her. He put the foreign thoughts he had to the back of his mind, and then scooped up his clothes to get dressed.

_I'll need to talk to Quistis later today. I owe her that much._

A shower could wait. Sleep could wait. Hunger could wait.

_**Ifrit **_could not.

* * *

Galbadia Garden, en route to Fisherman's Horizon

The wind felt great; she was meant to fly. For centuries, man has had a strange fascination with flight, and only in recent years has technology perfected that which only nature could do on its own. The skies soon became roads, and the clouds became the mountains. Nothing brought her closer to joy than being up here, bathed in the sun with the wind howling past.

"_Fox 1, systems check…" _Her comm went off, bringing her back to reality. The Galbadian paratrooper reared back and engaged the thrusters on her Aerial Assault Platform (AAP) for a complete 360 degree turn, then opened up her channel to respond in her thick Eastern accent, "Roger zat, Major Biggs. Platform mobility still performing above 90%, oxygen flow iz consistent at high altitudes, helmet UI iz still synced and operational, and ze new uniform still looks like shit."

"_Heh, suits you, Sergeant. Intiate the JAWS and let's wrap this up. Sorceress Edea expects a full report." _

"Copy zat." She closed the channel and turned her attention to the Quad's test area down below. With a firm tilt of her body and a sudden brake with her left foot, she deactivated her left thruster to make a steep descent toward the Quad.

"_Bring her in easy_. _Come on, this ain't a damn show." _

With her comm turned off she was able to quip, "Too bad, zat's vhat you're getting." Her helmet lights flashed as the computerized interface highlighted potential JAWS targets in a white grid.

Seifer stood beside the Major down on the Quad, his arms folded as he watched the paratrooper speeding down from above.

Major Biggs put down his binoculars and snorted. "Well?"

"Do all your soldiers have a death wish?"

"Hmph, just one."

The airborne Sergeant aimed for the Auditorium nearby and prepped the javelins on her platform. Using the speed of gravity, she disabled her right thruster, and rammed into the wall of the building, her javelins successfully impaling into the Auditorium to keep her suspended against it.

"_JAWS engaged._" Major Biggs' receiver went off.

"You're clear for drop," he replied.

"What's this 'JAWS' I keep hearing?"

"Javelin Assisted Wrench Support." Biggs nodded toward the Sergeant up against the Auditorium. "The AAP suffers solely as an aerial engine because of the massive power it requires to boost and small fuel tank. Now, a skilled trooper can stay airborne for about an hour and a half by judging the time between their boosts, but an idiot can cut the time in half by keeping their thrusters engaged. JAWS replaces the need for sustained flight by giving our boys the means to raid and capture elevated positions. It's ideal for taking on a heavy, mobile structure like Balamb Garden."

"Hn."

The Sergeant released her rope and clasped it to her hip. After making sure her AAP was secure, she removed its safety restraints and pressed the heels of her boots against the side of the building, gripping the rope tightly. With a deep breath she pushed hard against the building to launch herself back, allowing her to jump lower along the wall. She repeated this process until she finally touched ground where Seifer and Biggs were approaching.

"Fine work, Sergeant." The Major put his hands behind his back, tilting his head to look up at the suspended AAP.

"Vell, enjoy ze show?" She dusted her shoulders off and wrenched the rope from her hip. The Sergeant then reached up to the sides of her G-helmet, and with a _click_ and a _hiss, _the helmet loosened.

Seifer folded his arms, appraising her with a critical eye. "What's your name, Sergeant?"

The amazon of a woman removed her helmet and cradled it against her side. Her fiery-red hair was short and slicked back, and her features were sharp, almost arrogant in regal quality. "Natasia Markov."

"And what's your role?"

She huffed, sticking her ample chest out like an alpha male. "Paratrooper Squad Leader, Fox 1. Who ze hell are you?"

* * *

Martine's Home

"So what you're saying is that you lost to the Queen of Cards, therefore losing _**Ifrit**_?" Squall was genuinely at a loss.

"She has truly mastered her technique, and with such powerful cards I simply could not defeat her," Martine mused as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I have to say, Commander, you look unwell. Did you sleep at all last night?"

Squall pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan. "Just tell me where she went and I'll be on my way."

"You do not care for a game?"

Commander Leonhart grabbed him by the collar and threw him up against the wall, smashing the mirror behind the former headmaster with a _crash! _"You have nothing I want! Either you tell me where she went or I'll…"

Martine was sweating. Squall could see that now that the sun was shining on him, but that's when he realized that someone had opened the front door for that to happen. Curious, Squall glanced to the side and saw the Mayor standing in the doorway. The blaring sun behind the elder shadowed his expression as he stepped in. The lion carefully released the former headmaster's collar and stepped back to look at the Mayor, he seemed none too thrilled.

"Commander Leonhart," Mayor Dobe said in a calm, albeit gruff voice. "I trust violence won't be a normal occurrence wherever you may be."

"It's alright, my friend. The Commander was just asking a question." Martine straightened out his suit. "Isn't that right?"

Squall exchanged looks between both men before he nodded, his arms folded apprehensively.

"Is this about the Card Queen?" Mayor Dobe walked with a slight limp toward Squall. "As you can see, she is not here. She left as soon as she got what she came for."

"Martine told me that much."

"Hrrm," the old man grunted and nodded toward Martine. The former headmaster went slack jawed, but the Mayor reassured him with a knowing look. Martine sighed, and then strode toward the exit. He looked back at the Mayor once more before he stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"Something you want to tell me?" Squall watched the elder go and pull up a seat at the dinner table.

"Come, moment of your time, if you will."

Hesitant at first, Squall did as he was told and pulled up a chair. Once he sat down across the old man, he noticed the neat stack of cards placed right in front of him. A thud in Squall's chest let him know that his blood still boiled at the sight, for this was a sign that every card player knew.

"Knowledge comes with a price," Mayor Dobe said in a dangerous tone. Withered eyes met with youthful, impassioned ones when he issued his challenge, "And it seems you're unfamiliar with a rule in this area since last we dueled…the day I lost _**Quezacotl**_ to you."

Squall felt the air getting heavy, and his body was filling with that same energy he felt on graduation night and every game that came after. Wordlessly, he reached into his jacket and extracted his deck case, and slammed it on the table like a judge's gavel; neither flinched. So once the lion pulled his cards out of the case, the duel was officially on.

Mayor Dobe smirked. "We're not so different. Like you, I want what's rightfully mine."

_**Rules: Random, Same/Plus, Elemental**_

_**Trade Rule: One**_

One corner of Squall's mouth lifted as they both began shuffling their decks. There was a ritual that took place before a _Random _game, and that involved shuffling your deck thoroughly before handing your deck to the other player so that they too can shuffle your cards. Once both stacks were shuffled and the ritual was complete, they began the _cut_ before handing the decks back to their respective owners.

"Now then, let's settle this like men, Squall Leonhart."

"You're move, old man."

* * *

Xu went down the steps leading to the Quad alongside Ellone, who seemed very nervous and fidgety as she hugged the green shawl around her slender body. Queen Heart nudged her with an elbow. Ellone looked up and saw Xu smiling reassuringly at her.

"Chin up, sis."

"T-that's easy for you to say. They'll probably think I'm strange for not saying anything sooner, and that's _if_ they remember."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I just thought you were a spy and not strange." She held up a peace sign and grinned.

Ellone deadpanned. "That's comforting."

"Besides, you'll be fine if you tell them exactly what you told me. However…" Xu reduced the width of her strides to a slow walk, prompting Elle to do the same. Xu could already see Irvine, Quistis, Zell, and Selphie by the stage area, waiting for them to arrive from the look of it. "…I don't want you to mention _that _card to anyone else."

"Eh? Why?" Ellone blushed whenever she felt the slightest discomfort. "Wouldn't it be better to get everything out in the open? I told you about my _gift_ and all."

"Sweetheart, I know, but mentioning that little detail won't do us any good right now. And I still have yet to consult with Commander Leonhart about that. Once I know what the hell it is and why Edea gave it to you, then you can tell as many people as you want about it." She palmed her forehead tiredly. "Shit. I still can't believe old man Cid is married to that woman. I guess that explains why he resigned so suddenly."

"You mean when he promoted Squall to Commander?"

"Mhm. Anyway, remember what I said."

"Oh, if you think it's for the best…"

"I do, and thank you."

Ellone looked away sheepishly. "It's no trouble. Uhm, Operative Xu? Are you alright? Your eyes look very tired."

"I spent a better part of the night checking out your story. Imagine my surprise when I found Seifer amongst the orphanage records."

"Ah!" She gasped, bringing a hand over her petite chest. "Did I not mention him before? I'm sorry!"

"Don't be. I'd rather dehumanize him as much as possible."

"Operative…"

"I will **not **condone traitors."

"I…I understand."

Selphie sprung to her feet and waved Xu and Ellone over. "Heey, it's about time!"

Zell was practicing his guitar when he looked up to the approaching women. He lifted a brow as he wondered who the girl with Xu was. "Huh? What's she doing here? She's not a SeeD, right?"

Quistis was too preoccupied with her thoughts to answer him, Irvine noticed.

"You doin' alright, Quisty?" The sniper tilted his head to get a better look at her expression; she looked tired, among other things.

"I'm fine."

"Ah, shoot. Don't do _that_."

"Do what?" She shot him an irritated look.

"That _thing _girls do where they say everything's fine but in that 'it ain't fine' tone. And then they…yep, then they ignore you and walk away and stuff..."

Quistis went over to Xu, cutting to the chase, "This better be important."

"Hmm, I wouldn't have gathered you all for a picnic."

The little brunette skipped over to grab hold of Ellone's hands, shaking them ecstatically. "Hi! Hello!"

"Hello," she replied nervously. "Selphie, y-you're really nice. I'm glad."

"Well, duh! Us brunettes gotta stick together. Right, Ms. Xu?"

The operative humored her with a wink. "Duh."

Irvine came up beside Selphie and Ellone and brought his arms around both ladies, "I completely agree. You know, this ain't the first time I've stuck in between two brunett—d'owwwowww!"

Xu pinched his ear and dragged him away, Selphie and Ellone looking confused. "Come on, we've got more important things to discuss."

Quistis folded her arms when she looked at Ellone. Already she could feel the short-haired brunette grow uneasy under her chilling stare. "And the girl?"

"I'll get to that," Queen Heart called as she climbed onstage, having left Irvine by the staircase.

Zell's eyes widened. He sprang to his feet and pointed his guitar at Elle, "Hey, don't I know you!?"

Everyone turned to the spiky blonde when he cried out. Xu was surprised, but then felt a little sorry for Ellone when she noticed the group was staring at her; she looked like she was steadily shrinking from all the attention. So to make things easier Xu brought her fingers to her lips and whistled loud. Once she had them looking up, she grinned.

"Actually, **all** of you know her."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"_WHAT?!_"

Everyone except Irvine, and of course Ellone, seemed surprised. Xu took notice.

* * *

Mayor Dobe drew his first card and smiled, holding it with his middle and index fingers like a duelist. "_**X-ATM092**_, the Galbadian war engine used in Dollet, I think you remember it well." He placed it on the top left of the board.

_**Row 1: X-ATM092, [], [] **_

"I remember seeing it torn to shreds by…" Squall drew his first card and paused, _**Quistis **_was his first draw. "…Quistis."

"It's your move, boy."

"Hm." Squall glared at him when he set _**Quistis **_beneath _**X-ATM092**_, her 9 demolishing its 7. A smirk crossed his lips when he imagined her blasting it to kingdom come; she saved his life that day.

_**Row 1: X-ATM092, [], []  
**_

_**Row 2: Quistis, [], []  
**_

The Mayor drew his next card and grunted. "_**Adamantoise**_." He set the card on the bottom right of the board.

_**Row 3: [], [], Adamantoise**_

"Weak," Squall taunted as he drew _**Seifer**_.

_Another high level card, this could be bad. In an Open match this would be an easy game, but this is Same/Plus. The field is dangerous. I should try to take control whenever I can to restrict his combos, but that requires getting him to play more aggressively. Time to start putting more pressure, he'll slip eventually. _

The lion unleashed _**Seifer **_above _**Adamantoise**_, his all powerful A slashing through its 4.

_**Row 2: Quistis, [], Seifer**_

_**Row 3: [], [], Adamantoise**_

"Very impressive, Commander. I knew your cards were powerful, and it seems you rely heavily on skill and not luck." He drew his next card. "Heh, _**Behemoth**_!"

Squall kept his cool when he saw the massive purple beast trample in between _**Seifer **_and _**Quistis**_, 7 beating 6 and 6 beating 4.

_**Row 1: X-ATM092, [], []  
**_

_**Row 2: Quistis, Behemoth, Seifer**_

_**Row 3: [], [], Adamantoise**_

_Good, now I can set him up for a Combo. Just need the right card…_

Squall drew the next card betwixt his fingers and smirked. "Try your luck against this!" He set down _**Jelleye **_beside _**Adamantoise**_.

_**Ping! **_

The _Plus _combo was triggered when _**Jelleye's**_ point values added accordingly to _**Behemoth **_and _**Adamantoise**_, flipping the purple beast to Squall's control.

"Hrrm, well done, Commander."

"That's not all. You've just given me control of the board."

_**Behemoth **_triggered a **_Combo! _**to flip _**Quistis **_and _**Seifer **_back, which recaptured _**X-ATM092 **_for a complete board sweep.

_**Row 1: X-ATM092, [], []  
**_

_**Row 2: Quistis, Behemoth, Seifer**_

_**Row 3: [], Jelleye, Adamantoise**_

"Hrrm…"

"Your move," Squall said confidently.

Mayor Dobe drew his next card, his expression serious as he laid it on the bottom left of the board to occupy the only _Elemental_ area. His play resulted in nothing.

_**Row 3: Sam08, Jelleye, Adamantoise**_

With the board almost entirely under Squall's control, the game was just about over.

_Now, time to end this and find the Card Queen. _

Squall, ironically enough, pulled _**X-ATM092.**_ He set it down beside the other copy.

_**Row 1: X-ATM092, X-ATM092, []  
**_

"It's over, old man."

The Mayor had his hand over his card pile to draw his next card, but stopped to look up at the young man across from him. "One way or another." He drew his card slowly, "One way or another…"

When the mayor closed his eyes and set down his card, he didn't see the blackness of eyes shut tight, but the brightness of the sun when he felt like being lifted.

Squall's eyes widened.

_No…_

_**PING! **_ _**Plus!**_

_No…_

_**Combo!**_

_**Row 1: X-ATM092, X-ATM092, Belhemel**_

_**Row 2: Quistis, Behemoth, Seifer**_

_**Row 3: Sam08, Jelleye, Adamantoise**_

The Mayor's _**Belhemel **__Combos _after triggering a _Plus_, flipping _**X-ATM092**_ and_** Seifer**_, subsequently flipping _**Behemoth **_and _**Adamantoise**_, beginning another _Combo _to flip _**Quistis **_and_** Jelleye, **_and ending with _**Quistis**_, like she had done so to save his life before, tearing _**X-ATM092 **_apart.

Squall's palms were sweating, and his body trembled as he stared in disbelief.

Mayor Dobe opened his eyes to look at his stunned opponent. "It's over, boy."

_**You lose…**_

* * *

**To be continued  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Seeing as it's been a while since I updated, I wanted to try something different. Is the bold lettering a pain? Is center aligning of the script a pain? I'd like to know how you feel about it. Send a pm my way or even drop a review if these things are an issue. I hope to hear your opinions.

I'm sure you've noticed by now that while I do (for the most part) follow the story's canon, it is slightly AU given that the events are unfolding a bit differently and at different times (like the concert), and making Triple Triad core to the story. It's funny, because while Triple Triad is so prominent in the game itself, it has NOTHING to do with the story. Even games like FFX had Blitzball as some part of the story.

And lastly, I've even been so bold as to add an OC. About the OC... I have yet to decide how far I'll take her. Again, these are things that I would love to hear from you guys, good or bad. Above all, thank you for reading.


	9. The Same Wall Rule

**Triple Triad King**

by

Syc0ticEpis0de

**A/N: **For this chapter, Elemental fields in the Triple Triad board are marked with *****

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Same/Wall Rule**

Galbadia Garden, en route to Fisherman's Horizon

"So let me see if I got this straight…" Seifer let out a sigh as he leaned back in his seat. "You're saying you want to invest over half a million gil on _T-Rexaur_ research? I'd like to know what part of the body you all use to think. Actually, don't answer that."

"Hey now, what you're looking at is the future of warfare." Major Biggs gestured toward the plastic models on the table. The other officials in the War Room also seemed optimistic despite Seifer's outlook. "Just think, in a few short months we can have these dinos making precision jumps in our newly modified platforms. And c'mon, who'd be crazy enough to go against an airborne fleet of goddamn _T-Rexaurs_? I sure as hell wouldn't."

"Now that's impressive," one Elite added.

"Ah, it does this war dog good to see taxpayer money put to good use."

"Right? And it'll only take half a million gil plus the other two million-"

"Two million and a half gil?!" Seifer brought his fist down, rattling the _T-Rexaur_ figurines on the table. "I mean the damn things only spawn in Balamb Garden!" He looked around in disbelief at the confused Elites. "Doesn't…doesn't anyone here have any ideas that make sense AND don't cost a fortune?"

"Well," Major Biggs stroked his chin thoughtfully as he began. "Initially we were gonna go ahead and green light the _Bomb _Boom Squad-"

"Wait...care to run that by me again?" His eye twitched. It was difficult for him to tell if they were joking behind those helmets.

"Oh, you're gonna love it," one official chirped.

"It's impressive."

Biggs grinned at his comrades before continuing. "So get this, our plan was to capture and train wild _Bombs_ in suicide tactics and equip them with high-tech cloaking devices."

"Hah! Those SeeD wouldn't know what hit 'em."

"Very impressive, no?"

Seifer grit his teeth. _Why would anyone teach Bombs how to do what their name implies?! _

"I can see it now." The Elite's helmet flashed when he put a hand over his chest in mock fashion. "Oh, what's that? We're safe and sound and no one is aroun—SUPOOSH!" He followed with an exploding gesture for emphasis.

"Right? It's brilliant! And at only three hundred and fifty thousand gil per _Bomb_-"

"Gaah!" Seifer shot up from his seat, knocking it over as he sprinted out the room, gripping his skull. Everyone watched in silence as he left the War Room.

Major Biggs was the first to chime in once it got quiet. "You know on second thought, maybe we should just do the three million for the motorcycles."

"Don't forget the ramps. We agreed on ramps if that was the choice."

"Ok, so that's four million in total. That's inexpensive, right?"

"More like IMPRESSIVE."

And fists were bumped gloriously that day.

…

Nearly a day and a half had gone by since Seifer was tasked with preparing the men for battle. It wasn't long now until they'd be face to face with some of the deadliest mercenaries in the world: SeeD. That meant every precaution was a necessity. With his orders complete, and after consulting with the Galbadian Elites (with greater or lesser success), Seifer was on his way to give Edea his final report. Everyone was ready for war.

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled. "Damn them for having stupid, cool ideas."

"_Aaaagh!" _A scream came from the Sorceress's quarters, which was followed by a loud _Crash!_

"Shit." Seifer drew Hyperion and made a dash for her room, adrenaline coursing through his body as he rounded a corner.

Edea used one hand to support herself against the wall, exhausted after pushing over her large vanity mirror. "It's not here…" she muttered, glancing at the many Triple Triad cards still afloat from her magic. "Where did you hide _it_, old hag?"

"Matron!" Seifer threw the doors wide open, brandishing his gunblade as he barged in. "What the hell?" His expression changed from worried, to confused. Cards floated in midair, shifting and spinning, twisting and turning like they had minds of their own. He stepped forward cautiously, slightly disturbed how some cards parted aside as though acknowledging him.

"What did I say about manners? I could've been bare for all you know." Edea pushed herself to stand upright, keeping one arm beneath her generous bust. "Pervert."

Seifer visibly flinched. "I heard you screaming. Geez, what did you expect me to do?" He turned his attention to the destroyed mirror and the surrounding floor littered with shards. "Did you do this? And why are these—tch." He pushed away cards that strayed before his sight. "Since when do you play this stupid game? Are these yours?"

"Someone is awfully full of questions today." She had long awaited the arrival of _her _belongings. They had been carefully hidden in the old orphanage many miles away, but her reach extended far and beyond. It was really only a matter of time.

"So talk."

"Watch that tongue, child. The knight does not command his sorceress," she said acidly.

"Fuck that! I'm sick of being left in the dark." Seifer creased his brows angrily. "And if you think I'm into this shit, you're dead wrong. I don't care what it takes, you're telling me everything." He subconsciously tightened his grip on Hyperion when he said, "Now."

Edea bit back a chuckle when she turned her head to the side. She was more than a little amused at his bravado. "Is that right…I suppose there's no helping it, is there?" she conceded.

He never thought she could sound so humbled; it certainly took him by surprise. "Do you even trust me anymore?"

The Sorceress looked away for a moment.

"Damn it, talk to me." He regretted his harsh tone when she didn't respond, so he swallowed his pride and took a deep breath. "Please."

Now it was her turn to be surprised. "You really want to know everything? About these cards? Ellone?" She stepped back from the wall so she could turn slightly, her expression shadowed while her eyes glowed. "Me?"

"I think I have that right if I'm gonna keep sticking my neck out for you."

She paused to think it over, but then the Sorceress turned to face him, revealing her sickly white face. Blood was weeping from her eyes and contrasting starkly with her skin. Her eye shadow was smeared messily, and the bloody tears had already begun to cake on her cheeks. The sight of her like this shook Seifer to his core.

He didn't realize Hyperion falling from his grasp until it hit the ground with a metal _Clang! _"What's happening to you, Matron?"

Edea grinned before vanishing in the blink of an eye. The floating cards began glowing as they shifted closer and closer to Seifer. Confused, he drew a sharp breath and nearly stumbled back when she reappeared before him closer than ever. Her dark, bloody gaze had him frozen. The cards floated up and around his body like a spiral until it nearly covered his body. She lifted his chin with a single claw before leaning in to whisper...

"**I'm not your Matron**."

His mind went blank, and his eyes slowly widened as a bright light engulfed him completely.

* * *

Clear blue skies, ocean tides, walls of stone, and a rich, earthly smell are what best described their earliest years together. Childhood was the most important time in someone's life, so it was difficult to fathom why these children, raised in Edea's care, grew to forget everything and everyone about their old orphanage.

Ellone had her head bowed low, unable to meet their questioning stares. "…that was the same day Matron sent me away with her White SeeD. She joined us later, and we constantly moved around. I didn't have many friends because of that, but I got used to it. I guess the only thing I never got used to..." She remembered restless nights, staring into the star speckled sky while she thought of the children—while she thought of Squall. "…it was being without all of you. I'm sorry, I just wish so much that I could've at least said goodbye."

Selphie hugged Ellone's arm, nuzzling her cheek against her shoulder while she sniffled. "Oh Sis…"

"Can you forgive me, Sefie?" She then turned to the rest of the orphans. "Can you all ever forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, Ell—I mean, sis." Quistis touched her temple and shook her head. "This is just so bizarre, and to think that you were one giving us those _dreams_. Why?"

"I didn't mean to take advantage of any of you. I just…" she trailed off.

Selphie nudged her on the side. "You don't have to keep anything from us. We won't judge."

No one caught the knowing glance Xu exchanged with Ellone. "I wanted to change the past."

"Heey, you can do that?"

Zell perked up. "You mean, like, time travel or something?"

"It's more of a way of looking back, reliving old memories, and learning things you might never have known. And maybe from what you learn, you might end up seeing things differently in the present." She looked up and managed a smile. "You're the one that changes. Not the past."

"That's a poetic view of things," Quistis mused.

"Man, that's heavy." Zell scratched his head. "But y'know, I still don't get how we all just forgot everything. I can't be the only one freaking out."

"I'm wondering that as well," the former instructor added.

"Mm, Operative Xu and I believe the _Guardian Forces _are responsible."

"Whoa! Whoa!" Zell brought his hands up. "Hold up, Xu-"

"**Operative**." Xu smiled far too sweetly.

"Eh, yeah." Sweat dribbled down his cheek. _How come Selphie doesn't have to call her that?_ "Anyway, you saying those crackpots over at Centra and Galbadia were right all along?"

"Unfortunately." Xu frowned. "Still, this is the ONLY case where it's actually been proven. Making matters more interesting is the fact that all of you, including our Commander Leonhart, are the only ones that have experienced amnesia from _Junction_." She folded her arms and huffed. "I certainly remember my lame childhood."

Irvine was uncharacteristically quiet. Xu took notice.

"That can't be right. What about Selphie or Irvine?" Quistis looked over to them, adjusting her glasses. "They're transfers. Last I checked we were still the only Garden using _Junction_."

"Actually, I might have, maybe, perhaps _Junctioned_ a _GF_ when I was really little," Selphie said sheepishly.

"Well, Selphie couldn't keep a secret or lie to save her life." Xu shrugged. In the back of her mind, she had hoped to keep those details under wraps until she could confront Selphie and Irvine on her own. _Oh, Quisty..._

"Tee-hee!"

"So I'll take her word for it. Our handsome sniper on the other hand…" Xu turned her attention to Irvine.

Normally cool and soft spoken, he felt panicked from all their stares. "What?"

No one seemed amused, Quistis least of all.

"Oh, oh I get it. You reckon cause I wasn't up front about all this that I'm n—_Slap!—_d'oww! What was that for?"

"You son of a bitch!" Quistis spat whilst trying to land another hit.

Xu gasped.

"Ah!" Irvine ignored the stinging pain and held his hands up to keep her at bay.

"Q-Quisty! No!" Ellone went behind the agitated blonde to hold her back, prompting Zell to drop his guitar to go and help.

"Let me go!"

"Yo, take it ea-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Dincht." Her lovely features contorted angrily. If it was one thing most women didn't enjoy, it was being told to 'calm down' in an agitated state.

"Irvy..?" Selphie looked genuinely hurt.

The sniper was rubbing his cheek, unable to look at her. "Shucks…I'm sorry, Sef. I guess I should've said something. It just sucked because I thought I was the only one who remembered."

"Have you all forgotten already?" Ellone caught everyone off guard with her strong, maternal tone. Even Quistis stopped struggling. "I'm guilty for doing the same thing. All that matters now is that we're here, together again. I ask that you all show him the lenience that you showed me."

Quistis chewed her lip and thought it over.

"Please, Quisty?"

The tired blonde's expression softened. "Fine, you're right." After she was let go, she could see the imprint of her hand on Irvine's cheek. "Sorry. Woke up on the wrong side of bed, I suppose."

"No hard feelings," he said with a tip of his hat. "Besides, it ain't the first time you touched me without my consent."

"You idiot." Quistis blushed.

Xu felt a wave of relief coming over her. Up until this point, she suspected Irvine was a traitor or spy. And she trusted Selphie enough, but she would've made sure her trust wasn't misplaced. _I hope the Commander is having an easier time of things._

* * *

Mayor Dobe wordlessly reached for _**Quistis**_, and held the card up. The woman depicted was elegant with her long blonde bangs and piercing blue eyes, and her point values were matched only by her beauty.

"This is precious to you, isn't it?" The old man looked over to Squall for the first time and realized how drained he looked; powerless.

"…It doesn't matter."

"It does when something or someone you care for is at stake." He put _**Quistis **_down with the others. "You and I are leaders. I shouldn't have to tell you that."

"Then don't."

A disdainful look crossed the Mayor's wrinkled features as he leaned forward on the table. "Is this really the man I lost _**Quezacotl**_ to? Is this the same man that saved my town?"

Squall lifted his gaze from the board and opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come.

"You want to know what I see? I see a boy. I see the shadow of a man far greater than you."

The Commander's hands balled into tight fists with every bitter word.

"I don't know what the Queen sees in you or why she wants you to go to her, but I would be more than glad to tell her that she's wasting her time on a spineless child."

_No...__**  
**_

"Where she saw potential, I see only failure."

Squall grit his teeth. The energy—the duelist within him, answered the call of the challenge. It was like fire spreading from his chest and toward every corner of his body until he burned with it, feeling it taking over every fiber of his being.

The Mayor lowered his brows menacingly as he snatched _**Quistis **_off the table.

_No..._

"You don't deserve to face her. You don't deserve _**Ifrit **_or _**Quezacotl**_." With that, he shuffled _**Quistis **_in his deck. "Heh, you don't even deserve to be called a duelist."

_**QuistisCard lost…**_

_No!_

Like a _Phoenix_ rising from the ashes, Squall shot up from his seat and directed his challenge at the Mayor. The smirk vanished from the old man's face, and he could almost swear he saw the Commander's eyes glowing like a flame.

"**I challenge you to a duel**!"

Mayor Dobe slammed his deck on the table and met the lion's intense glare with his own. "Then come on!"

_**Rules: Random, Same/Plus, Elemental**_

_**Trade Rule: One**_

* * *

"So we know that the _GF _caused our memory loss." Quistis had a habit of chewing her thumbnail when deep in thought. "And if Seifer is still in league with Matron, did she help him remember? But then he gave us no reason to believe that he knows anything about the past."

"Let me be clear about one thing." Xu took out her cigarette case and opened it with a _Click!_ "I don't know about Seifer's condition nor do I care. He left Garden willingly, just like Cid. Although from what Ellone tells me, he's just a man who would never fight his wife." Her brows lifted somewhat when she added as an afterthought, "We'll see about that."

Ellone shook her head with a smile, feeling used to her paranoia by now.

"Matron…" Zell strummed a slow riff on his guitar; it helped him think. "What's her reason for doing all of this? I don't get it, man."

Selphie perked up. "Sis, did Matron say anything weird the last times you saw her? Maybe she was forced, or something! There's no way she's the bad guy, right? There must be something we're missing!"

"I'm sorry, Sefie. We all thought it was very strange when she left the White SeeD ship. That's why I came to Cid in the first place, remember?"

"Hmm." She pouted.

The steel lighter's flame licked at Xu's cigarette while she puffed with her slender lips. After firing up and putting away her lighter, she tilted her head back to blow smoke in the air. "I want you all to listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

Everyone turned to look at her onstage. Quistis, for one, rarely saw her dear friend be direct about anything. She set her thoughts of Squall aside to hear what her Queen Heart had to say.

Xu lowered her cig, "This changes nothing."

Zell stopped plucking the strings on his guitar, feeling the weight of those words settle.

"O-operative?"

"Edea Kramer...this Matron of yours, is not the woman you knew and loved. We may never know why she decided to take over an entire nation, but I know one thing: we're at war." She dropped her cigarette, and crushed it beneath her heel. Hard. "If given the chance, you must **not** hesitate to eliminate her."

Selphie felt her heart sink. "But there has to be another-"

"Do you understand, Selphie? Do all of you?"

Irvine removed his hat to wipe his forehead on his sleeve. "She's right, everyone."

"Irvy!"

"She tried to destroy Trabia Garden, remember? And I reckon she would've if not for Squall."

"I know, but…"

"So even after all this, just like that?" Quistis asked, surprised.

"As much as I hate to admit it, she really ain't our Matron anymore. Heck, we sure ain't kids anymore."

Zell was caught in the middle, speechless.

Selphie felt lost until Ellone held her hand. She looked up at Sis and her gentle eyes, feeling her squeeze slightly. Selphie squeezed back.

"Just remember," he continued, putting his hat back on. "I accepted that before any of you the moment I looked her in the eye and pulled the trigger."

And to that, no one said a word.

Xu had descended the stage to walk by Irvine. She patted his shoulder once in passing, to which he tipped his hat. "Ellone and I will be bringing the Commander up to speed once he gets back. You're all welcome to join." She waved a hand dismissively to the group as she took her leave of the Quad Area. "Dismissed."

* * *

The stage was set for battle, and it was the Mayor who had first draw.

"I want you to know that it was not luck that defeated you." He drew his card with his middle and index finger like a duelist, and flipped it so he could see. "Your own arrogance sealed your fate." He brought forth a _**Red Giant**_, the deadlier cousin to the **_Iron Giant_**, and set it defensively on the top left.

_**Row 1: Red Giant, [*], []**_

Squall had his card betwixt his fingers when he met his opponent's stare. He saw the smug grin on the old man's face, and felt a dark instinct driving him to unleash his _**Iron Giant **_against the superior _**Red Giant**_. "Careful it doesn't happen to you, old man."

_**Row 1: Red Giant, [*], []**_

_**Row 2: Iron Giant, [], [] **_

The colossi met in a steel shattering clash, locking their massive blades together like gladiators. Ultimately, it was the lesser _**Iron Giant**_'s 6 that tore through the _**Red Giant**_'s exposed 4, bringing it down with a great flourish.

"Mhahaha!" The elder marveled at the Commander's tenacity and drew his next card with gusto. "You certainly are as the Queen says. Are you aware that she holds you in the highest esteem?" He put _**Turtapod **_down in a defensive stance. "Hrrm, but the attention from a ruthless and cunning woman like her could prove hazardous."

_**Row 3: [], Turtapod, []**_

_...The Queen of Cards? I've bested her many times in the past. I remember she wanted me to do something for her, but that was the same day we left for Timber. _

"You know her?" Squall pulled _**Gerogero**_, the grotesque monster that impersonated the late Galbadian President Vinzer Deling. "What does she want with me?"

_**Gerogero **_took its 8 to sweep through _**Turtapod**_'s sturdy defense of 7.

_**Row 3: Gerogero, Turtapod, []**_

"I met her through her father." He lowered his brows as he revealed a powerful _**Ruby Dragon**_. "Hmph, and her majesty keeps no counsel other than her own; I wouldn't know what she wants. No matter, you'll never see her at this rate!"

_**Ruby Dragon **_swooped from above, catching _**Iron Giant **_and _**Turtapod**_ off guard for a _**Plus! **_

_**Ping! **_

_**Iron Giant **_and _**Turtapod**_ were flipped, allowing _**Iron Giant**_ to maul through _**Red Giant **_and _**Gerogero **_for a **_Combo!_**

_**Row 1: Red Giant, [*], []**_

_**Row 2: Iron Giant, Ruby Dragon, [] **_

_**Row 3: Gerogero, Turtapod, []**_

_Tch, he's using a sweep tactic this early? If I can pull the right card…I can exploit that. _

Squall was nearly trembling when he reached for his deck. His brow furrowed at the _**Rinoa **_in his hand. "Now who's being arrogant?"

_**Rinoa **_fired off a pinwheel with deadly precision, piercing the hulking giant's skull with ease.

_**Row 1: Red Giant, Rinoa*, []**_

Mayor Dobe brought forth _**Tiamat **_and set it beside _**Rinoa**_, but it's strength could not match her A. In that moment, a strange look came over the elder. "Heh."

_**Row 1: Red Giant, Rinoa*, Tiamat**_

The next card the lion drew had his heart pulsing wildly.

_Perfect, I can end it with __**Shiva**__!_

The frozen goddess met _**Ruby Dragon **_and_** Tiamat **_with chilling results when she touched ground.

_**Ping! **_

_**Plus! **_

Both opposing cards were flipped by a flurry of ice and crystal, allowing _**Ruby Dragon **_to incinerate **_Turtapod _**for a _**Combo!** **Iron Giant **_shrugged off the flames with ease._  
_

_**Row 1: Red Giant, Rinoa*, Tiamat**_

_**Row 2: Iron Giant, Ruby Dragon, Shiva**_

_**Row 3: Gerogero, Turtapod, []**_

_It comes down to this...  
_

Mayor Dobe stopped for a moment to close his eyes like he did the game before. He slowly drew his next card as though sensing the same _light _from their last duel. Squall tightened his fists in anticipation.

_I won't lose!_

With a quick motion of his hand, the Mayor unleashed a _**Propagator **_to the field. And though it's power was able to best _**Turtapod **_and_** Shiva, **_it only brought the game to a stalemate.

_**Row 1: Red Giant, Rinoa*, Tiamat**_

_**Row 2: Iron Giant, Ruby Dragon, Shiva**_

_**Row 3: Gerogero, Turtapod, Propagator**_

_**5 – 5**_

_**Draw…**_

Squall exhaled deeply to relax his body. His hands weren't shaking this time, and he hadn't broken a sweat like before. It was only when Mayor Dobe started shuffling his cards back that the Commander felt any surprise.

"It's not over yet," he said in his gruff whisper.

The Commander couldn't back out now, especially when there was still a chance to save _**Quistis. **_Hastily, they began the _ritual _of shuffling and cutting anew.

"No…far from it."

The Mayor looked up at his opponent and felt stricken with a sudden unease. Something had changed with the Commander; his energy was much different than before and far stronger. _Was the Queen right about him? Could he be the one?_

* * *

It smelled nice. That was Fujin's first thought when she walked inside Squall's freshly remodeled and refurbished room. The workers had left a little while ago, and because Xu was busy 'tending to a matter,' and because Fujin just happened to be around (patrolling the halls), they handed her the keys with little room to argue about it.

She went over to his bed, gently grazing the surface with the back of her hand to smooth out a wrinkle. "Mm." She nodded, pleased. Her gaze wandered the room until she found the bathroom. Curious, she decided to go there next.

The bathtub drew her attention. It was round, and spacious enough for two…maybe three people? The notion made her blush. She bent over to slide her fingers along the edge of the marble tub, unaware of the smile on her lips.

She might have decided to take a dip in the tub if not for the sounds of someone else entering the room. Fujin withdrew quickly and got to her feet. She smoothed out her jacket and went out to see who it was.

"Wooow, so nice—Fujin!" Rinoa jumped in surprise.

Her single eye narrowed at the sight of the princess. To say they've had their share of disagreements in the past was an understatement. "LOST?"

"Eh? Oh, no. I'm just checking out the new digs! Heh heh." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

Fujin rolled her eye as she made for the exit. "SATISFIED?"

Rinoa boldly stepped in front of her, blocking the way. "Hey, wait a sec. Since we're both here, can we talk?"

"UNWISE. MOVE."

"H-hey, look I just wanted to apologize."

"MOVE."

"I'm sorry for fighting you, and I'm sorry for thinking you were hurting Squall in the basement!"

Fujin flinched and took a step back, her cheeks bright red. She actually ended up doing the complete opposite of hurting...

"And I'm sorry for calling you a pirate behind your—umf!"

The silver-haired beauty covered her mouth with a gloved hand, her eye twitching. "APOLOGY ACCEPTED."

The wide-eyed Rinoa looked relieved when she was let go. "Ah, I'm glad."

"MOVE."

"Eh? Oh!" She sidestepped once and grinned. "There, you may pass. I-I mean of course you can pass! You don't need my permission." The princess slapped her head mockingly. "Heh heh, dummy."

Wordlessly, Fujin stepped outside. As soon as she was midway down the hall, she noticed that Rinoa was following not far behind her. Fujin stopped walking. Turned around. Glared.

"Eep!" Rinoa jumped. "Oh, I'm not following you or anything! We're just going in the same..." She then took off in a sprint, her blue duster fluttering behind her like a banner.

Fujin tilted her head and watched her go until she disappeared from view. She cautiously looked around until she was certain no one could see her, and then sprinted back to Squall's room. She might have a bath after all.

* * *

This was their third match, and the Mayor could already feel his energy begin to wane. The only thing driving him was the desire to see Squall's power. He wanted to understand why the Queen was entranced with him so.

"You dueled with her majesty in the past," he began, drawing his first card. When he saw what card was in his hand, he grinned. "Heh, but she was merely testing your strength, gauging your personality, and scouting your cards."

_**Quistis **_entered in a flash of red, her whip poised for the battle.

_**Row 3: Quistis, [], []**_

"You're a fool to have indulged her, Commander."

Squall felt a skip in his chest. This was his chance to not only redeem himself, but take back what's his!

_If I can win, I can take her back and see the Queen. But if the old man's words are true, what kind of woman am I really dealing with? _

He entered the draw step and pulled _**Quezacotl**_. This was when he knew the stakes were just too high. "Whatever, I'll defeat her again."

_**Quistis **__is exposed to a capture…but I should play carefully for the time being. I might not have another chance like this. _

Squall cautiously summoned _**Quezacotl **_to the top left, its impressive wingspan flapping open with a static flourish.

_**Row 1: Quezacotl, [*], []**_

"Ah, it's been a long time, old friend." Mayor Dobe could sense his caution, and decided to exploit it. With _**Grat **_as his next card, he knew what he had to do. "This is the climax, Squall Leonhart. This is where we see who's worthy."

_**Row 1: Quezacotl, Grat*, []**_

The elder knew _**Grat **_was easy prey with its poor defensive stats. _If you won't attack, I'll make you. _

Next draw step, Squall pulled a _**Shumi Tribe**_.

_He wants me to make the first move? Fine, so be it. _

_**Shumi Tribe **_made quick work of _**Grat**_, smashing the reduced defenses to a pulp.

_**Row 1: Quezacotl, Grat*, Shumi Tribe**_

The entire first row was claimed, and now the Mayor could set his plan into motion. "That's more like it." _**Funguar **_was next, so he added it to the chopping block for Squall to take. _Come on, attack. _

_**Row 2: [], [*], Funguar**_

Squall brought forth a _**Tonberry King**_, its menacing Chef's Knife cutting _**Funguar **_to shreds. "Your move."

_**Row 2: [], [*], Funguar**_

_**Row 3: Quistis, [], Tonberry King **_

The wind element was sitting at the center of the board. That position, arguably the most important, was worth the risk of taking even if it had the dangerous element of _Wind_. Mayor Dobe closed his eyes again to try tapping into that same energy that helped him win before. Squall felt it, perhaps even saw the briefest flash of light, but he didn't blink.

_**Thrustaevis**_ was a wind element monster. It took the center with an empowered +1 to flip _**Funguar **_and_** Grat **_back to the Mayor's control.

_**Row 1: Quezacotl, Grat*, Shumi Tribe**_

_**Row 2: [], Thrustaevis*, Funguar**_

The tired elder was panting when he opened his eyes, knowing instinctively what was next to come. "Help me see it, Commander. Show me that you can be…"

Squall lifted his next card up high, his piercing sapphires blaring like fire. The Mayor saw a light so bright that he could not see or withstand it very long. He had to bring his hands up to shield himself, and heard only the sound that tolled his demise.

_**PING! **_

_…that you can be King. _

_**Plus! **_

_**Combo!**_

…

The sun was brightest in the afternoon on Fisherman's Horizon. Squall tilted his head back, letting those warm rays bathe him in its light. A wind ruffled his hair as he let out a deep breath, the sounds of the ocean mingled with the calling of gulls overhead.

"She'll be prepared, you know." Martine folded his arms, watching him from the corner of his eye.

The view was beautiful from up here, and it was really the only saving grace for having crashed into FH. Mayor Dobe was sipping on coffee as he looked toward the ocean.

"As will the Commander. I made certain of that."

"She really as good as you say?" Squall asked with a lift of his brow.

"Queen of Cards isn't just a title, boy." His wrinkled lips formed a smile.

"Hn, guess I'll have to see for myself."

"And it should be no other way."

The Commander nodded once to the older men before starting back toward Garden.

"Commander?" Mayor Dobe's voice stopped him for a moment. "Heh, I'll want a rematch soon. Watch over _**Quezacotl** _until then, you hear?"

Squall, as a duelist, could never say no to the challenge. He smirked when he lifted a dismissive hand. "Loud and clear, old man."

"Safe travels, Commander Leonhart." Martine called out.

After a long and grueling battle, Squall was ready to get some much needed rest. His thoughts went back to Quistis, knowing an even tougher challenge was just waiting up ahead. If he learned anything from facing the Mayor, it was that he should meet the challenge with a head held high. And that's how he walked when he entered Garden from the second floor entrance.

_...My room should be ready by now. I should go there first before anything else. _

Nothing sounded better than a warm shower, and an equally warm bed.

* * *

**To be continued**

* * *

**A/N:** That quote Ellone says about the person changing, not the past? It's from the game. I thought it was beautiful.

Reviewers had questions, I have (belated) answers.

Genericrandom: I will be uploading TTK to ficwad during the weekend. Also to adultfanfiction as soon as I figure out a way to properly upload. Can't use word, go figure. :\

Guest: The secret area was the first time for both Squall and Quistis, indeed.

On a different note, this is the last 'official' rule in the Triple Triad game. Future chapters will still be coinciding with the '(Insert) Rule' title scheme, and are not actual rules. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I name chapters by rules other than the fact that I thought it'd be neat and flavor appropriate.

Next, I will try better to update this regularly. I'm aiming for at least 2 chapters a month. At LEAST. This one was just very difficult to write because in this point of the game, the orphanage gang go through this reeeally long flashback to remember their childhood and whatnot. I spent most of my time writing that scene, and it was grueling. Before I forget, I'm also going to update the first three chapters of TTK with what I've learned up until now. Ch.1 has already received this treatment. Just 2 more to go.

Lastly, I started my drabble about Selphie and Squall watching movies. Have a look if you're interested.


	10. The Heart Rule

**Triple Triad King**

By

Syc0ticEpis0de

**:Lemon Warning: **

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Heart Rule  
**

Xu swiped her key card, for the third time, and received the same response as before.

_**Access Denied!**_

She banged her head lightly against the steel doors, letting out a tired groan.

For all of Balamb Garden's innovations and conveniences, it had to be HER room with a faulty electronic lock. Despite that, paranoia just wouldn't allow her to leave it open. And so many things already took priority over getting the lock fixed. From assigning missions to Balamb Garden's SeeD (with Squall's input every now and then), to the very maintaining of the structure and its finances, 'a lot' might be an understatement.

Then there was the matter with Ellone and her Orphanage Gang. That was no walk in the park, but someone had to dig. _And __I've never seen Quisty so worked up before. __Wonder what's really bothering her? _Her already cluttered mind didn't allow for much speculation, that's for sure.

All she wanted was some rest.

She yawned, fanning her mouth a little. "Come on," she muttered, swiping her key card again, "pretty please?"

_**Access Denie**_-

Xu punched the lock mechanism on impulse, completely shattering it in one blow. Sparks hissed and cracked from the pummeled surface. The card reader hung loosely from a few intact wires. She brought her fist up to stare at her knuckle. Not a single scratch on her. _That's just peachy. _Xu turned her back to the doors and leaned against them. With sigh, she let her body slide down the steely surface until she was sitting on her ass.

The Elite Operative was feeling a little ticked. Maybe a little upset. Perturbed, perhaps.

Xu shrugged. "Meh, sleep is overrated." She rummaged inside her suit pocket for that thin case of hers. _Who needs that when I've got the medicine?_

A good smoke would calm her nerves in a flash. She didn't smoke any cheap stuff either, only pure Estharian Slims. Where and how she got them? Only she knew. Esthar was still completely off the radar, after all. The case opened with a _Click! _She loved that sound. However, what good feelings she had or was about to have were crushed when she saw nothing inside.

Panic gripped her. She turned it upside down and shook the case frantically, hoping for something; anything. "Fuck. Fuck."

No dice.

In her frustration, Xu tossed the damn thing against the wall. It flew fast, instantly snapping in half upon impact. "Fuck you!" her voice cracked. She sat there, panting while she stared at the broken case. It was her favorite one, too. Out of smokes and out of luck, she raised her knees up and buried her head.

It must be some sort of sign, something telling her that her work was not yet over. Then again, if you're the one behind the scenes, if you're the one making sure the wheels kept turning, when was it ever? It sucked being human sometimes.

Her eyes were getting heavy. She felt the weight on her shoulders bearing down just a little more. Xu was ready to give up and fall asleep right there, but the sound of someone opening the 2nd floor entrance startled her awake. She lifted her head, glanced further down the hall, and found her dearest Commander, letting in some afternoon sun as he walked in. The rays of light clung to him like an aura, or perhaps Xu was just imagining it. Either way, he was a beautiful sight for sore eyes.

Squall ran his fingers through his mane and turned his head, spotting her immediately. He felt a little a confused as to why his second-in-command was just sitting outside her room, staring at him with glimmering eyes.

Xu gave a haphazard salute and called out, "Yo."

* * *

With the turn of a knob, hot water began spilling out into the tub. Fujin stood upright to unzip her blue jacket, watching as a heavenly cloud of steam rose from within the tub. There was something strangely intimate about being the first one to use Squall's bath; the one he'd be using for the rest of his career. His body, naked in all its taut glory, would eventually grace this marble surface. In some way their bodies would touch. It was an exciting notion.

Fujin shrugged off her jacket, letting it fall beside her bare feet. Now in her tank-top, she raised her hands to cup her round, petite breasts. They fit right in the palm of her hand. She squeezed them a little, brushing her fingers over perky nipples. Her lips twisted bitterly. The thought of Quistis and her full, ample bosom came to mind. They were probably soft, pert, and perhaps bigger when naked.

Fujin gasped! Since when did she think about other women's breasts? And naked for that matter? Come to think of it, why did she suddenly feel so inadequate? She turned to look at herself in the mirror. Because she never bothered with bras before, her pink nipples, hardened from her touch, poked against the thin fabric of her tank-top. She studied herself for a moment, squeezing her soft mounds together, jiggling them just so.

"Hm."

Fujin thought about Squall and the _moment _they shared in the Basement Sub-level. It seemed so long ago, but she vividly recalled the pounding in her chest, the warmth in her cheeks, and that manly taste of _him_. Though she never did anything like that before, she remembered feeling this natural tingling in her mouth, urging her to be filled. She even thought about doing it again on more than one occasion, but would he want that? Did he like what she did? It was certainly an interesting experience for her.

She reached down to the hem of her tank-top, and then lifted it off her body. A shiver ran down her spine the moment she was topless, letting the garment fall on her jacket. Out of curiosity, she stared at her chest in the mirror. Her skin was so white, but different parts of her body had a light blush to them. Some were brighter than other areas, like on the firm, supple cheeks of her bottom. Touching just had a way of making her skin brighten a little. Her pink nipples, just from touch alone, looked like hard, tiny blossoms.

Did Squall find her attractive? More importantly, did she find herself attractive? And why did she care about that stuff when she never did in the past? Fujin gently touched her eye-patch, pondering these things never pondered before. _Am I..? _Then she remembered that man—that lion hovering over her and trapping her little blossoms between his teeth. That's when she felt like a woman. She felt beautiful. She felt **desired**.

That felt great.

Fujin tucked her lower lip, biting down when she remembered that massive cock being shoved down her throat. She'd only seen that stuff in medical books, never in person and never that big. Was that size common? Regardless, she had been a bad girl when he unleashed _that_ on her. She needed to be disciplined for what she did, and Squall really came through for her. Hard.

That felt great, too.

Then it hit her: Rinoa was also responsible for the destruction of his room in the first place. Squall even told Rinoa that they would 'talk later' about her actions. The silver-haired beauty went wide-eyed with realization. Did Squall ever discipline HER?

"_Holy crackers! S-Squall, it's huuuge!" The raven-haired princess frantically waved her hands in front of her, as if it would help keep __that__ monster at bay. "I can't take all of that! I'm sorry for being a bad girl! I'm so sorry! Eep…" _

"_No." Squall backed Rinoa against the wall, her eyes like saucers when he had her by the shoulders. "You need to learn your lesson." His look was intense when he started pushing her down slowly. She stammered unintelligibly, mentioning something about happy thoughts and places. Then she went silent and blushed, now face to face with that big, fat… _

Fujin shuddered in delight and brought her knees together, surprised to feel her hand in between her legs. That was far too strange! What has gotten into her? She had gone from thinking about a woman's breasts, to seeing another with the only man she's ever had a thing for. She looked in the mirror again and saw how rosy she was. She wanted to feel disgusted. She really did.

"Tch…"

After getting a grip, or at least when she felt she did, she unbuttoned her pants. All she had to do was shake her hips a little, and they fell to her feet. After kicking those aside, Fujin slid her thumbs under the sides of her panties. She hesitated a moment, but then started working them down with a little more determination. The clingy fabric stretched tight against her skin, hugging her as she wiggled her hips slightly. Soon, she was easing them over that soft, smooth curve of her rose-white butt. When her panties were lowered just enough, Fujin let go so they could join her discarded clothes.

The mirror was nearly fogged up, but she could just barely make out that little patch of silver hair in between her legs. She briefly brought her fingers over her pubic mound, tenderly grazing over that sweet spot. Fujin still couldn't believe she was doing this. It was surreal, like the image of Rinoa, whimpering and fighting a losing battle with her mouth. Still, she felt this genuine rush from it all. And being naked inside Squall's bathroom was also exhilarating on its own.

Fujin bent over to shut the water off, her hips shifting slightly as she turned the knob. By now the bathroom was filled with steam; the mirror completely fogged. She carefully put one hand on the side of the wall to lift her leg up, point her toe down, and gently lower it into the hot water. She hissed slightly, surprised by how hot it actually was. Nonetheless, one corner of Fujin's mouth lifted.

This was going to feel great.

* * *

It was a good thing there weren't students around the Circle Area. Many were either enjoying some shore leave, or kicking back in the dorms, or having a bite at the cafeteria. Ellone was currently being treated to lunch and catching up some more with her fellow _orphans_. There was plenty to ask and much more to tell; their Sis obliged. Fortunate for Squall, no one would be around to see him carry Xu to his room, bridal style.

"You really should be in the Infirmary," Squall began, continuing to his room like he originally intended, "They have beds there, you know."

_What's our policy on fraternization, anyway? Well, I guess it wouldn't matter seeing as Quistis and I…_

"You're joking, right? Those things are all hard and lumpy. I'm amazed the springs didn't dig a hole in your back. Besides, aiding a comrade in need sets a good example. Wouldn't you say? " Xu huffed against his stiff pectoral, subconsciously rubbing it with her cheek. "Oh, and the Doc isn't in. Since we'll be casting off soon, I thought a little R&R would do her some good. Take a load off and all that jazz."

"You're telling me there's no one on staff in the Infirmary?"

"Today's kind of an off day," she replied, thoughtfully tapping the corner of her mouth. "And FH has a Hospital in case we find ourselves in need of emergency care. Not to mention the Sabre Class medics that we have here on campus. Huh, I myself am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the human body, actually."

"That's not really the point here."

Xu shrugged. "I mean, if you want, I could slap on some gloves and give you a physical just to prove my-"

"W-whatever! I get it." Arguing with Xu was always a losing battle, be it right or wrong. He sighed. "That still doesn't explain why it needs to be MY room."

"Hey, I commissioned your room to get fixed. No harm in seeing if I got MY money's worth."

"Your money?"

"**My **money," she said with a smirk.

"…Oh." It was times like this that he remembered how much she actually did around here. He felt guilty.

Ever since defeating the Mayor, he's had a little time to reflect. Since cards and the game were easy to understand, he knew what to do and how to adapt. He was an excellent, cerebral duelist. But people, women in particular, their emotions were a bit harder to grasp. It didn't help that he was never really good at opening up about things.

_How did all of this even start? It's like it just happened._

When he thought about Quistis, Selphie, Fujin, and his experiences with them, he realized each was substantially different. Quistis was beautiful. She revealed a world of pleasure he'd never known, but also brought about feelings he had trouble understanding. Selphie was cute. She got him to do things and surprised him at every turn, whether he wanted or not. Fujin was elegant. She made him take charge and responsibility, reminding him of who and what he really was: a leader.

_It's like a maze I walked into. Blind. I suppose I should still talk to Quistis first. It feels like I lost her, and I don't think I want that. Maybe if I just talked more..._

With that in mind, Squall cleared his throat and said, "Thank you very much. I appreciate it." It sounded forced. Xu took notice.

"Oh?" She angled her head to look up. "You sure you don't need that physical?" Her brows lifted in that peculiar manner of hers.

He muttered something she didn't quite catch.

"What's that?"

"I said I owe you an apology."

"Unless you're the one who sabotaged my locks a few months back, there's nothing to apologize for." Her brows went up again when she added, "I think."

"So it's been months? I wondered." The card reader looked in bad shape, but Xu took responsibility for it. He remembered that fighting stance she used during NORG's uprising; definitely a hand-to-hand specialist. "But I don't mean that."

They were now going down the empty hall that led to his private quarters. It was situated further away from the men's dorm, closer to the courtyard.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense here," she quipped.

He chose his next words very carefully, hoping to sound as neutral as possible. "I worry about you."

A switch went off in Xu's head, and she literally jumped out of his arms. She turned to face him, dropping into that fighting stance. "OK, who are you? What have you done with the Commander?"

_Has she lost it? Or have I? _

He tried to keep cool when he brought his hands up, taking a few cautious steps toward her. "Hold on, just-"

The paranoid Operative thrust her palm out in warning. Squall paused, but then kept coming. "Why would you say something like that? Huh? The Commander I know would NEVER-"

"What?"

"Tell me where he is!"

"It IS me." Squall groaned. This 'opening up' thing seemed a lot easier in his head. "Look, I was just thinking that perhaps I…put a lot on your shoulders. And yet, you still go out of your way to contribute. I know this, and it's wrong of me to take advantage of you like that."

She seemed unconvinced. Squall pressed on.

"You're a professional. I get that. But you're still a human being. I can't keep pushing you like this."

His words continued to forestall any further warning strikes from her, but she remained defensive. With enough care and luck, he had gotten close enough to bring his hands gently over her fists, not gripping in the least. Xu tilted her head in surprise. Their eyes met. His were intense, but she knew right away that it was him.

"I need you…" Squall began softly, "…at your best."

Xu's fists slowly uncurled in Squall's grasp, not intending for her fingers to slip between his. It occurred to her how close together they were. "I'm such an idiot." She didn't like the breathlessness of her voice. Squall's gaze dropped, his lashes lowered. Xu suspected he was staring at her lips. She licked them. He squeezed her hands a little. She didn't mind that. _Oh god_, _what am I getting myself into? _

"No," he whispered, "and I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Xu said quietly. After a pause, she cleared her throat and spoke with more confidence, "Yeah, I mean, it's no biggie. Geez, I just made an ass of myself. Totally understandable if you cut my wages. Really. Aye, Commander?"

"Call me Squall, Xu."

A choke of surprised laughter escaped her. She'd been calling him by rank ever since he became Commander, after all. "You're not helping your case here, buddy."

"It's me," Squall said simply.

"Squall," it rolled off the tongue nicely when she said it. "Look, I wouldn't mind talking more once I'm better rested. Maybe we can have a drink. Who knows? So shall we, I don't know, mosey?" She shrugged.

Squall was still holding her hands when he took the hint. He quickly let go and looked off to the side, avoiding her amused stare. "Yeah, whatever." A breeze passed between them, ruffling his hair somewhat.

Xu didn't think twice when she reached up to tuck some of his hair behind his ear. She's always wanted to do that.

He looked at her in surprise, but didn't flinch or stop her for that matter.

"Well? Aren't you going to sweep me off my feet, Squall?"

No way was she going to walk now.

* * *

It had to be a sin to feel this good.

Fujin exhaled deeply, lying spread eagle. Her head was tilted back, resting on the edge of the tub. Her arms were also along on the edge, elbows hanging off to the side slightly. The hot water sunk deep into her pores. Her muscles relaxed. She felt any and all stiffness in her body melt away. Taking another deep breath, she let her eye close and just basked in the warmth, letting her mind go blank.

No war. No worries. No Rinoa. No Squall… Fujin opened her eye and stared up at the ceiling. Perhaps it wasn't all perfect, but even if he wasn't there physically, she still had her wonderful imagination. Fujin nearly purred. Her hands submerged in the hot water, seeking out her virgin-tight sex. When she felt that smooth flesh, she ran both hands down the sides of her folds, slightly spreading them. She unraveled like a little flower, revealing the small nub of her clit. The silver-haired beauty used her middle finger to massage around that nub, never actually touching it. She bit down on her lip, pressing down a little harder whenever she completed a circle.

Without trying or wanting to, Fujin's thoughts wandered to Rinoa with Squall again. The hard pounding in her chest could only be described as a mixture of alarm, excitement, pain, and pleasure. She was feeling a bit lightheaded. More and more she felt disgusted by the fact that she was getting off to Rinoa being 'disciplined' by Squall. It was something that was more profound the more fiercely she tried to deny and push away. It was overwhelming. She used her other finger to gently probe inside her little pussy. The slow, deep movements of her fingers became a bit faster when she imagined the princess, begging for mercy in that whining tone of hers.

"Despicable…" Fujin muttered darkly through silky lips.

Then she heard Squall's front door unlock with a _Beep! _

_**Access Granted!**_

"Ah…" Fujin bucked her hips into her fingers, unable to stop herself. She felt something welling up inside like a coiled spring. It panicked her that whatever it was, she couldn't stop it from coming. She couldn't even get her fingers to stop. Then she realized how worried she was about someone finding her like THIS. Her heart felt like it could burst at any second.

…

"Good thing your old key still works," Xu remarked as they walked in, impressed. The doors closed behind them. "Oh my. Looks like something out of a catalog, huh." She went up to a wall and gave it a sniff, sighing contentedly. "Ah, that's quality. I should royally wreck my room and give 'em another call."

The room was painted a light cream color, giving it a warm, inviting atmosphere. Over by the window, on the left side, was a desk. It was wider and much nicer than his old one. This was his workplace area. There was also a closed door beside the desk, further to the left. This was likely the bathroom. On the right side of the room was his (double) bed. His gunblade case had also been cleaned, polished, and set by the foot of the bed where it was out of the way. There were also drawers for his clothes, a nightstand, and a mini-fridge, too. This was his home-space.

Relief came over him when he saw the case. He went over and crouched before it, opening it to check its contents. Everything looked in order. Even his first 7 cards were still untouched and tucked away. "It looks good, but nothing to destroy your room over. I say wait on that."

"Meh, I'm a little tired to be openly vandalizing anyway. I might just get my locks fixed, if anything." Xu sauntered to his rather comfy looking bed.

"We're leaving tomorrow afternoon, by the way." Squall was putting his cards away in his gunblade case; the hidden compartment was handy. "Can it be done before then?"

"That's plenty of time." Xu yawned and kicked off her heels. A wicked grin formed on her lips when she tossed herself on his bed, feeling her lithe body sink into that cloud-like surface. "Oh **fuck** me!"

Cards fumbled out of Squall's hands.

"Is this one of those beds that actually conforms to your body? Haha, oh wow!" She rolled on her back, stretching her limbs out while going 'mmmm'. "So, where to?"

"Balamb…" He was looking at her, wondering if he had just imagined _that_. It was probably best to continue putting away his cards.

"Balamb's nice this time of year. You know, I got my first tattoo down there. Good times. Maybe we all just a need a little break…" Xu's voice trailed off as she buried her head in his pillows.

Squall froze when he came upon the _blank card_. He picked it up between his middle and index finger, studying it with critical eye. There was nothing inherently special about it. The only thing that bewildered him was why he couldn't get rid of it. During the train ride to Timber, Squall and his team experienced the _Dream World _for the first time. The _blank card _was on his person when he woke up, and it's been around since.

"I'm juss gonna close my eyes fer a bit, mm'kay, Squall?" the Elite Operative slurred.

There was a thud in his chest. It felt like he was being sucked into the card as it grew bigger and bigger. Another thud, stronger this time. Squall could almost see a picture take form inside that blank space, but there was something else instead.

"_What are you trying to do? Change the world?" a female's voice called out._

The Commander shook his head to snap himself out of it. He then stuffed the card in his case before closing it shut, taking deep breaths to compose himself. The voice sounded familiar, but trying to remember was making his head hurt. Best to drop it, he decided.

"Ok," Squall said, getting up, "Xu, I'm going to—oh."

She was lying on her stomach, arms folded beneath her pillow. She must've been more tired than she let on.

Squall didn't have the heart to disturb her, in any case. Since his bed had no covers, he decided to do the next best thing and take off his jacket. It wasn't much, but he blanketed her with it as best he could. She stirred a little, letting out a sleepy moan. "Mm, you're a sweetheart…"

He looked at her and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Rest."

Now for that shower.

…

There was steam. Everywhere. Squall stepped inside, closing the door behind him. A number of things went through his mind as he scanned the bathroom, seeing discarded clothes all around the floor. The blue jacket caught his eye because of the distinct pauldron on the shoulder. Only one person wore such thing. Squall turned his attention to the tub. The white shower curtains were pulled across all the way, so he couldn't see beyond it. What he could see, however, was a slender silhouette on the other side. The figure was feminine. He knew that from the way she wrapped her arm around the small, albeit enticing swell of her chest. The hips also gave her away, curving much wider than her thin waist.

"Fujin?" Squall asked quietly, mindful of Xu just outside.

The short-haired figure jumped slightly. _Splash! _Squall noticed she had one hand in between her legs; she was likely covering herself down there, too. She was silent. Squall almost felt bad for walking in on her like this, but this was his bathroom and-

"COMMANDER?"

"Yeah…" he replied, not knowing what else to say. And he was staring far too much at her body. His eyes were especially drawn to her hips. He never realized how full they were despite her slender build. It was a shame her jacket covered so much.

"AM I… being a bad girl?"

Squall coughed nervously, unsure how to respond. But now she was facing him. He saw her drop her hands to her sides from beyond the shower curtain; unabashed. This wasn't what he expected from her.

"Am I?" she pressed.

OK, recap. Here he was, in his steamy bathroom. Xu was outside, falling asleep in his bed. Fujin had somehow gotten into his room and was now in his bathtub. Naked. Squall felt blood rushing down _there_. He was dumbfounded. She was pulling aside the curtains to…oh god.

Fujin was there, in plain sight, her petite breasts laid bare. Drops of water clung to her chest and nipples like dew. Her silver hair was wet and slicked back, clinging together in strands. Water rolled down her tight stomach, past her navel and down to her pubic mound.

Squall gulped. He had never seen her vagina before, and it made his heart race to see that tiny, silvery growth just above it.

"Commander..." Fujin said huskily, stepping out of the tub in a trance. Water descended from her feet, down to the floor. She approached the wide-eyed lion, then without another moment's hesitation, raised herself up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.

Squall wasn't prepared for it, but he knew what to do on instinct. He felt her working his lips apart with hers, softly breathing into his mouth. He sighed. Then she started sucking on his lower lip, all while pulling up at the hem of his shirt. Now she was being bad. With enough willpower and energy, Squall put his hands on her wet shoulders and pushed her away, just enough to break the kiss with a wet _Smeck! _They were both panting, looking at each other with rosy expressions. Squall thought Fujin was lovely like that, eye-patch and all.

"Wait," he said, catching his breath while holding her at arm's length, "I don't think I should-"

"Discipline me?" Her hands were near his groin, fingers toying with his multiple belts.

"I just wanted...a shower..."

"Mm?" She unbuckled one of his belts and pulled it out. Now a second belt was being worked away.

"I mean, look, Xu's outside but she'll fall asleep soon. You can wait here until then, but I need to shower."

"Mhm." With his belts undone, she unbuttoned his leather pants and pulled his zipper down. She carefully got down on her knees, bringing his pants down with her.

Squall tried to keep calm. "Fujin, I appreciate…uh…" She grabbed the front of his bulge, her hand going over that meaty shaft so she could fondle him. His dick hardened under her touch, and he felt her moving it around. He completely forgot what he was saying.

"Shower, then?" Fujin was looking at his bulge with a childlike curiosity, wondering if he had gotten bigger since last time. What a strange thought. She brought her face to his bulge and opened her mouth wide, bringing her lips over the middle of his engorged shaft. She could feel it twitching through the thin fabric, and it fascinated her that she could make him like this.

Squall looked down, watching Fujin's lips tug at his shaft through his underwear. "Shower…"

"Mhm." she nodded, tracing the outline of his bulge with her tongue.

…

Squall's clothes mingled with hers on the floor. He stood under the shower head, warm water spraying at his naked back while he rinsed the soap off his body. Fujin was on the opposite side of the tub, her eye fixated on the swollen cock, swinging somewhat between his legs. She didn't notice how he stared at her in return; he was looking south of her as well. Fujin's small bush was lovely to see, and that surprised him. Her silver hair was natural, and it had the slightest curl. Squall dared to go a little lower, and he could just see the cleft between her legs where her pussy began. She was really something. She had nice, long legs, tight abs surrounding the belly button, and round breasts with pink nipples, erect with anticipation. Then her face: soft with a serious expression. Even with her eye-patch she was beautiful. His shaft, already at full mast, twitched with excitement.

Fujin felt her mouth water.

"Hey," Squall broke the silence.

"…Mm?"

"I've been kind of hogging this… Do you want to, you know, share?"

That was a surprising proposal. She had agreed to just stay inside and let him wash up, even though she nearly started something beforehand. Still, it would be nice to feel the water against her skin again. "If you insist."

So she stepped forward. Squall did the same, and they both turned sideways to give each other room while they traded spaces. Her back was facing him when they passed each other, making his dick brush against her tight butt. Her ivory skin was so warm. He felt it twitch against her cheek for just that moment, and Fujin shivered once they separated.

Now Squall stood on the opposite end of the shower. He watched Fujin standing under the water, allowing it to pour over her face, chest, and body. She ran her fingers through her hair, slicking it back again as the water matted it against her scalp. Whenever she leaned on one foot to the other, her bottom flexed.

Fujin turned to face him and tilted her head back slightly, letting the water cascade through her hair and down to her back. She wiped the water from her eye to look at him, her mouth agape when she saw how...angry his manhood looked.

Squall reached over and handed her the shampoo, if only to get her to stop looking at him like that; it made him feel a little embarrassed. She glanced at the offered bottle, hesitantly accepting. She turned it upside down, putting a glob of the shampoo in her palm before she handed it back to him. He set it aside. She rubbed her hands together, working up a few suds and then lathering it into her hair. She turned around again, facing the jets of water while she nervously washed her hair. She seemed a bit clumsy the way she did it, and Squall saw her knees shaking a bit. Was she ok?

"Here, let me." Squall stepped closer, genuinely wanting to help her.

Fujin tensed up. She turned her head to give him a sideways glance, and then silently dropped her hands. Squall took the hint and let his fingers sink into her hair. She gasped quietly. His fingers moved up higher along her head, thoroughly massaging the suds into her scalp. Fujin nearly melted under his touch. He moved lower, kneading circles with his thumbs while he drew his fingers back and forth. She was starting to relax under his ministrations, and enjoyed feeling his fingers combing through her silver hair. He moved a bit lower, working more of the shampoo into the short length of hair. That's when she leaned back, putting her hand on his thigh.

"Lower…" Fujin said in that husky tone of hers.

Squall complied. He ran his fingers over the nape of her neck, thumbs pressing in between her shoulders. She seemed to like that, because she was now putting her other hand on his other thigh, leaning back just a little more. Squall stared down and saw his tip just inches away from her heart-shaped butt. He was down to her shoulders now, massaging a little harder when he felt her ass shifting against his cock. He tried to focus. Squall gripped her shoulders firmly, his fingers pressing into her flesh. Fujin breathed in sharply.

"Squall…" She tightened her supple cheeks around his dick, wiggling her hips while she cradled it in between.

Squall couldn't take it anymore at this point. He pushed her forward so she was bending in front of him. Fujin submitted, leaning further and putting her hands to the wall. The water was dousing her lower back and spraying against Squall's chest and stomach. He pushed against her ass, sliding his dick through her smooth cheeks, back and forth. She let out another sharp breath. He noticed she never moaned, only panted and breathed loudly through her narrowly open lips.

"COMMANDER..." She felt him pumping away in between her ass, the water from the shower splashing between them. Fujin bent lower and spread her legs a little more.

Now that she was more under his control, Squall stopped and pulled back for a moment. He pointed his tip at her virgin-tight pussy, and then boldly pushed forward. Her slick folds felt like velvet. Fujin tensed.

_Is this her first time?_

She didn't object to his advance, so he took it as a sign to continue. He let go of her shoulders to grab the sides of her hips. While holding onto her curves, he pushed further, the head of his cock forcing against her. Fujin hissed quietly, unsure how to process the feeling. Squall's mind was spinning. He pushed some more, his tip practically jamming against her. Suddenly, the resistance slowly gave away. He felt his cock sink into her, bit by bit.

Fujin never would thought Squall would be her first; it was unreal.

She moved one hand from the wall and covered her mouth, completely shocked by the pain that was setting in. She wanted to endure, but it was so hard! With every push he sank deeper, stretching her more to accommodate him. But in moments, she was now steadily relaxing around him. As he forced his tip all the way in, she squeezed around him slightly, coaxing him further. Now she began to take on his massive shaft.

She did not cry out. Fujin took deep breaths, calming her racing heart as she felt him go deeper still, inch by inch.

Squall couldn't believe how soft it felt inside Fujin. He wondered if they should really be doing this with Xu just outside... He went deeper. It was a little easier since he was halfway in. After slowly forcing himself inside, Fujin now completely engulfed him. His pubic mound was pressed hard against her butt. Fujin growled, wiggling her hips against him, challenging him almost.

Now he was done taking it easy on her.

Squall drew back until he was out halfway, her pussy gripping him like a vice, then pounded fiercely against her, jerking her body up. She clenched her teeth and growled again. Her head turned to the side and Squall could see her eye-patch. She was literally baring her teeth at him. He pulled back again and rammed into her ass, his dick jamming deep inside her.

"HARDER," she snarled.

He grabbed her hips tighter, his thumbs kneading into the sides of her flesh. He was given an open invitation to not hold back. It was wild. The lion grit his teeth with every punishing stroke, water splashing as he pumped in and out. He felt her trying to clamp down on him whenever he pulled back, it felt like she was milking him. Fujin couldn't tell if she felt tears in her eye or if it was just the water, but she was clearly in equal amounts of pain and pleasure. Was this sex?

It was incredible.

Squall jabbed her from behind with deep, frantic thrusts. Her white butt, reddened from his bucking hips, jiggled with each thrust. He felt his balls tighten and an energy twisting inside him. He was nearing eruption. He bucked harder against her, filling her little pussy to the brim. Fujin never knew such bliss. Such discipline. She felt herself convulsing around him, her knees shaking uncontrollably and her heart pounding in her ears. Squall heard her moan for the first time and that set him off like fireworks. He pulled out and unleashed a thick burst of cum all over her ass. Fujin felt something much hotter than the shower stream spilling out on her. She realized what it was, and reached back to stroke his shaft, milking him of every drop. He tilted his head back as she lovingly pumped him, sighing as she coaxed one last rope of cum, coating her wrist nicely.

She squeezed him hard, down from his base and up to the tip, forcing out the last pearly drops. Squall leaned forward and put his hand on the wall to stable himself, his head hung low as they both panted. Neither spoke for a while. There was only the sounds of the shower, spraying over their spent bodies. Then he heard something he thought he'd never hear.

Fujin giggled.

* * *

**To be continued. **

* * *

**A/N: **I was going to cut the lemon out of this because I thought it made the chapter too long. Geez, my entries get longer each time.

To my anon reviewers, which I have no way of contacting, I'm grateful for your opinions and reviews. Good or bad. Short or not. That said, to the one anon who did not like my silly card games, I'm sorry. Hope this makes up for it. I'll keep them light in the future.

To my other reviewers, I really do take your thoughts into consideration. It helps a lot.

Thank you all.


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